If I never see tomorow
by aymei
Summary: K18, GCC, VB fic. Location still exsisting planet Vegeta. Finally got another chapter up...on long hiatus
1. Before we begin...

New Page 3 

**[Just a Short note before we start.]**

Now I know you guys will probably flame my hide from here to kingdom come for this story, so I feel obliged to warn you now, I mean what with made up characters and all but depending on the kind of reviews I guess I will know whether to end it right now or not.

Anyway the basic idea was that I was thinking hey how about a bit more stories about Krillin and Juuhachi on planet Vegeta. It always seems to be Bulma and Vegeta. I have no problem with that but they're such good stories and I want so much to see what it would be like if one put Krillin and Juuhachi there. I didn't want to say anything at the beginning so I don't ruin it but in my rendition Goku and Vegeta never came to earth, no one had met at all in other words it will not and can not follow the series everything happened to them in different ways... *screams and covers head to avoid sailing ripe tomatoes accompanied with a large amount of booing*. _WAIT_! Please don't kill me yet…I've kinda got a V/B and G/CC romance in it too so you can't take me out yet…right? *looks pleadingly out of a face splattered with tomatoes* I mean...I have so not written anything about this planet before and you'll have to humor me a lot and stretch your imagination even further with all the ridiculous idea's here but I'm trying really hard so if you must flame me _please_ be gentle. Sorry about the spelling mistakes. Special thanks to everyone who reviewed my last story, you guys are the _best_. 

Oh and if you're here 'Hi Chris! (^______^)' Thanks for being so very patient (it was so not my fault, the site wasn't working…blame them, I so had this ready ages ago). Please tell if this meets your standards and if you hate it…(I think I will just die) tell me in no uncertain terms.

Oh yeah, I promise I will stop talking; I need to say 'Deadly Beauty' if you ever see this…I'm considering what to do about what you suggested last time (i.e your last review in my other story) 

Well, hasn't this been more tattle that story eh…I'm sorry I won't talk so much next time you'll see. I'm doing this just once...now on with the story already right?

Later days!

Aymei 

**Story dedicated to all my reviewers of the last fiction I wrote every last one of you.**


	2. Alone

(usual disclaimers, dun own nothing, except for my original characters ^^)

Chapter One

**Diary entry;** Its _twelve earth years since the end of freeza's reign. The third raid on the planet earth was a successful one; more slaves have been brought down to the planet. After the partial destruction the second wave had caused most of the planets populace had lost anywhere to run to. Again I missed out on a chance to be amongst my brothers. I'd been training hard only to be rejected again and sent back to this menial task of keeping watch of the palace. _

_Yet the weak species must be good for something more than labour or they would not keep getting more. The incessant crying that inevitably fills the air is beginning to get on my nerves though. At first they don't really understand the pointlessness of struggle but it soon sinks in. anger, denial, tears and then finally resignation. With the exception it seemed of one. Unruly short blonde hair, blue eyes and a slight frame, not at all muscular; its obvious that he is still a youth. His name no one seems to know. He carries quite a dignified air of mystery round with him though; he has to be the strangest specimen of human I have seen._

_There isn't the usual sign of capitulation and strangely he looks more feminine than any male species should be allowed to look. The females seem to like this kind of handsome quality. I made the mistake of thinking him weak; a defective outcome of the male species, more trouble than they were worth having been pampered beyond what was healthy. If he'd been born a saiyan he would have no doubt been killed by now. I was so sure he wouldn't last when they relocated him to working on the new buildings. His twin had looked more able to look after himself, though dark and a complete opposite to the almost angelic blonde. Sometimes he had more than acted like a spawn of evil. It was inevitable that he had got sold off first, all troublemakers did._

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I can read your mind 

And I know your story…

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Juuhachi wasn't really concentrating on what she was doing. It was the monotony of the work that made her mind wander ceaselessly. She suspected she wasn't the only one bored out of her skull. It was the same thing day in day out. The fact that she wasn't content and growing restless didn't help. She worked for no one but even she knew she hadn't a chance of getting out of here alone. There were too many guards for a start and outside of that she would have the model citizens of planet Vegeta to deal with. She was good but her limits she knew personally. She would have blasted the place to pieces by now but this wasn't earth. It would be easier there, this planet seemed a lot more versatile and its people stronger than those of the earth that barely registered any power levels whatsoever. Her actions became almost mechanical as she worked. She could practically do this in her sleep. For all the sleep she managed to get, even she needed a rest every now and then besides it made for a more intresting alternative to staring at an opposing wall.

The food was awful too. She ate sparsely she knew but when she did eat she rather preferred it didn't taste like something designed to kill. Apart form all that though, her mind was on something else too…

_Juunana_.

He'd been taken from her a month after they were brought to this planet. Without him she felt more lost than she had ever thought she could be. Dependency wasn't something she had been aware lurked in her makeup. They hadn't been apart since they had been activated and weren't supposed to be as far as she knew. She'd had to keep reminding him numerous times about his temper and to wait patiently for an opening but waiting wasn't one of his strong points.

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She straightened up as she heard the not so subtle change in her environment. Someone was calling her, not so much by her name as by the rank she'd unwittingly acquired along with every one else brought here against their will. She took an almost sadistic delight in mentally tearing the offender apart limb by limb. Such delight explained the almost invisible smile that danced round the corner of her lips as she looked up at the guard on duty who glared at her. She stared back unfazed under a look that would have sent any normal person scurrying for cover.

She wasn't a normal person.

He said nothing but she could see he wasn't pleased and the unwavering gaze she gave him. He was no doubt used to a more fearful reaction to the dark look. He simply looked her over obviously taking in her frame and mentally calculating. She could see it in the glint of his eyes. Instead of the first set of orders he had changed his mind and gave another. "Take those sacks over to the stores." She looked over at the huge pile of sacks she was meant to carry…

"…by yourself." He added enjoying the look of incredulity cross her face. It would take more than one person to finish in a reasonable time period. So silently peeved she was at what was meant to be some sort of punishment she didn't see his foot placed in her way and she tripped falling flat on her face. The loud laughter that left him wasn't one that so much suggested satisfaction so much as the desire to humiliate. To her ears it sounded hallow and fake, even forced. Some of the other men laughed too, fearing that to not laugh would alienate them from the source of power here and now that the guard presented. Someone did step forward however in an attempt to help her up, she didn't see who it was because he was pushed back almost savagely.

"Leave him…unless you wish to visit the halls." It was simply said but the threat in itself was daunting. No one would be willing to risk doing anything that would get them sent there A place were screams were said to haunt it were the worst things anyone could ever bear to hear. Hardly anyone returned from that place. Juuhachi rose and picked up the first sack, beginning a job that though she didn't know it yet would take her nearly the whole of the rest of the day to finish, and threw it over her shoulder with less effort than it would take to lift a small bucket of water to the guards surprise.

How disguising herself as a guy was such a good idea she couldn't remember but it had made sense in the beginning. It had also served the purpose of keeping her and her brother together only that hadn't lasted very long. What hurt most was that she hadn't even known when he had been taken away. Somehow she had been deprived of something she couldn't name by that action. She had just returned to find him gone and herself so very alone. This charade was no longer fun when he wasn't there to constantly tease her and ridicule the glasses she had taken to wearing to complete her 'disguise' or even the hair that now just brushed the middle of her ears where it had before loving grazed her shoulders. The last thing she was blind to was his faults, he was a conceited, aggravating, self-assured, pain-in-the-rear but she would still give anything to be wherever he was right now.

She had wondered at times if he was dead, which was an idea so incredulous that she would wonder straight away how she could have thought of something so farfetched. It was more likely that he had taken to keeping a low profile. She muttered an expletive beneath her breath. _Lousy timing Juunanagou_. At least if he was till being his destructive self she would know he was somewhere at least from being able to sense him. Right now she could feel a great big nothing!

So far she had just barely succeeded in keeping to the shadows, no one noticed her and that was how she wanted it but you can't have everything and so she wasn't able to avoided everyone entirely as the scene with the guard proved and every time she did draw attention trouble came along with it like the ever faithful dog it was. Sometimes she was sure she would be found out. That bothered her a lot. It wasn't like she could just decided to drop the pretence suddenly and it wouldn't be any better if she was found out either. She wasn't really concentrating on where she was going again so when she ended up ramming into someone it set her totally off balance by its unexpectedness that she had no chance of regaining her footing and the weight of the sack turned against her. She fell backwards the sack coming in use as it just about prevented her from hitting her head on the unforgivably hard ground. She was so blindingly angry at having fallen twice in the same day like some ungainly clod that she practically growled at the as yet unseen culprit.

"Don't you look where you are going!" she snapped as a whole load of melon like fruit rolled round the floor. It still didn't cease to amaze her that anything could grow on this blighted planet. She heard the apology as she rose refusing the hand offered her. She would have probably just pulled the person down on her and that would be no help at all. When she finally saw the offender her gaze registered slight surprise at his height. _He_ had managed to throw her off balance? "I'm really sorry." She heard him say as he retracted his rejected hand to rush back a few strands of raven black hair plastered against his lightly perspiring brow. He gave a brief laugh, one of coupled mirth and sheepishness.

"I should have been looking where I was going."

She shook her head suddenly. How he could laugh was surprising. Not so much at the situation they presently found themselves in when she was about ready to thump him but in general. She hadn't come across someone who could laugh in this place, a true laugh, one so real it would bring with it a thousand memories in tow bestowing a bitter sweet kind of gift. The kind that yanked at something buried deep inside her and physically embodied itself in moments of bitter consuming jealousy…long enough to have destroyed something. In a rare act of kindness she would have never made in what now seemed like a previous life she began helping him put the fruit back into the box he'd been carrying.

"I'm Krillin." He offered with a hint of red "who are you?" She simply looked blankly at him. He looked sheepish again and took her silence to mean she didn't wish to introduce herself but it wasn't that. It was surprise. He was offering her some form of budding friendship? She came to the conclusion that he was either made…or new, she was willing to bet it was the latter.

"Juuhachigou." She answered with no real idea why. He looked puzzled as the last melon like fruit was returned. "Is that a nickname?" he asked. She wasn't about to discuss the intricate details of how she had come by her name and simply nodded instead. He smiled. "See you later yeah" he said simply as he picked up the box again with a sudden hurry and left with a brief smile. It occurred to her that she actually liked his smile. She picked up the sack quickly and hurried off realising that if she didn't get the sacks shifted by the due time she wouldn't get any lunch. She wasn't hungry, quite the contrary she just knew that he would inevitably be there along with everyone else. She had o plan to talk to him or draw his attention but rather to study the strange man from a distance and try to figure out if she could exactly what he was about.

She needn't have bothered, as she didn't get to have lunch. The guard had deliberately added more sacks for her to carry knowing full well that it would take her all lunch time and more to finish carrying them all. He'd finally got some satisfaction after being thwarted earlier.

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Krillin looked round again trying to spot the blonde haired boy. He couldn't find him at all. He'd rather expected to meet up with him again. There was a lot about him that seemed strange, he couldn't sense anything from hi, no ki whatsoever. Either the boy was very good at being able to hide his energy levels, which would mean there was more to him than met the eye or he didn't have one and then he had a whole lot of questions he would need to answer. He turned to the tubby guy on his right. "Hey, do you know if Juuhachi is round here?" the guy looked confused "_Juuhachi_? Who or what is that?"

"blonde hair, blue eyed boy, doesn't say much." Krillin explained. Recognition suddenly dawned on the man's face. "so that's what he is called then." He said "I saw him earlier. He's still working…apparently got on the wrong side of one of the guards. He's a strange one," he said. The guy's friend nodded. He reminded Krillin of a human version of a rat especially with his impossibly long and skeletal like fingers. His nails looked like claws in their length. How long had he been here he began to wonder. "Stuck up brat thinks he is too good." He muttered almost bitterly speaking for the first time since they had sat at the table.

"Doesn't talk to any one at all. Just sits over there all alone like." The tubby guy informed him as he pointed to a dark corner of the hall. Krillin's gaze followed the direction he pointed in but Juuhachi wasn't there. "All brooding and quiet." He continued "No one knows him…no one really cares."

"Remember his twin I do, black haired bastard was even worse." Rat guy chuckled strangely as he peered at Krillin.

Tubby shrugged nonchalantly suddenly deeming it fit to talk as he ate, time wasn't something they could play around with; when lunch was over, it was over, the fact that you hadn't finished was irrelevant. "He rather built a reputation for himself around here." He said above the food he continued to shovel into his mouth "He was the kind people called the 'pretty boy' type. I can see where the blonde gets it from, must run in the family cause they are identical peas in a pod. Only difference was hair and personality. The blonde one never said a thing, never did a thing. The dark haired one on the other hand would leave you alone if you left him alone but sometimes just start trouble for the fun of it. Pretty popular with the ladies and he knew it the jumped-up bastard."

This was news to Krillin even as he had to avoid being splattered without making it too obvious so as to appear rude. Under normal circumstances he would have politely asked him to wait till he had finished what he was eating before attempting to talk but this was hardly normal circumstances so he sat there trying not to move much and yet stay splatter free. _Juuhachi had a twin?_ "Where is he then?" Krillin asked.

"Got sold off didn't he, me and Oswald saw the whole thing." Rat-guy informed Krillin with a smile that was kind of a cross between a weird grin and a sneer as he gestured towards the man at his side. Oswald nodded barely breaking the continuous flow of food from plate to mouth to stomach. "Oh." Krillin said briefly as rat-guy took him in slowly "You're asking an awful lot of questions for someone new. You're a spy…you're one of them aliens? Blondie got himself in some sort a trouble? Be sure to let him know Bisman shopped him in" he said. Krillin looked surprised at the vehemence "Why do you hate him so much?"

The man's expression seemed to change into one that bordered on obsessive hatred and mental deterioration and he indicted with a crocked finger for Krillin to lean in closer. "I told him they'd always been watching us them saiyans, they was there while we slept, evil beings watching and waiting, I told everyone I said they were but no one believed me. 'Crazy fool' they called me, wanted to send Bisman to the mad house." His harp and sudden almost maniacal laughter made Krillin jump back startled his gaze widening in reflex. "Stupid fools the lot of them, I told him I did, I says I always knew but no one believed me and then Bisman asks him for a measly morsel to eat ad he says 'you're a crazy fool, get off me' all posh and up nosed."

Krillin couldn't help but be amazed at his near perfect mimicry of Juuhachi "I hate him, think he was better than me he did. I'll show him soon. Nothing better than the rest of us, I say he deserves everything he gets, he's like all the to hers who said Bisman was crazy. They'll see then that I wasn't crazy. When they come for them, evil in the night they will know then." He suddenly began nursing the slop in front of him relishing its warmth as his voice dropped into a soft whine almost like he was on the verge of tears "Bisman's been here too long…going mad with all the things he's seen…"

Krillin looked uneasy at the sudden angle the conversation had taken and glanced at the tubby guy he now knew as Oswald. The man simply shook his head with a rueful smile and tapped his forehead "like he said been here too long, he was amongst the very first, like some kind of pilot scheme. He's not all that 'there' anymore, sometimes its more obvious than usual." Krillin nodded his unease not abating in the slightest. He looked normal only Krillin now knew different. "Are you going to eat that?" Bisman suddenly queried.

"No, be my guest." Krillin said pushing the bowl of soup, what kind he daren't ask, towards him. He smiled brightly as he took it quickly "Bisman likes you. You don't think Bisman is crazy."

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Juuhachigou was officially tired but more bored by the time she had finished. She ran a hand through her hair. She wasn't off the hook though, not by a long shot. It was the same guard that had the same duty tomorrow and if he was a predictable as she suspected he would probably find some other way of degrading her anew. She took off the glasses, a part of her costume accessory, rather amazed that still they had managed to remain. She'd got them in the hope that they would take away from the feminine curves of her face. She moved uncomfortably, sighing as she closed her eyes trying to get some sleep in a bed that was harder and more uncomfortable than the ground itself and the snoring of the other two occupants of the tiny room was not helping. Privacy was such a sacred thing and something she would give almost anything to have enough of.

They weren't the worst of people to be cooped up with apart from the one-in-a-million chance that they _both_ snored like wild boars. She pulled the blanket up around her. Hopes of it keeping anyone or anything warm had long since died as the hopes of the many people who had used it before her. As if to add proof to this her foot pocked through one of the numerous holes emergent in the threadbare blanket. She didn't really need it, it wasn't a cold night besides, the planet was seemingly always warm. She hadn't been made to feel much but strangely that wasn't how it turned out. The one thing that had come out right though must have been the amount of hate she had felt for her creator. He'd ruined her life and that of her brother. As far as she was concerned disposing of him had not given her any sleepless nights even if it had been Juunana who'd done it. No one had really known the extent of his depravity or even his little known 'other' experiments. The ones he had kept secret of which she was just one product; made to have been unquestionably loyal to his ever demand. Made only to satisfy a twisted desire to make the whole world pay for his humiliation.

He hadn't deemed it fit to even give her a name after stealing her first. To him there hadn't been a point, a name hadn't been top of his priorities for an 'it' a number would more than suffice. Maybe by giving her a name he could have tried to give her back the smallest bit of what he had taken away and not just be coldly indifferent to what he had done to her, for taking away the very essence of who she had been and substituting it with something artificially made. Then, even when they had gone on to do what they had been programmed to do, yes, even after they had killed him and there really was no point, what else did they have to their existence?, they'd found someone else was raining on their parade.

They were the ones who should have been holding the world to ransom, destroying things and putting the fear of god into the pathetic humans and they weren't even able to do that. Now she was stuck here with a whole bunch of them. There were no points for guessing who had got them into this predicament. Who else would totally disregard her intuition and get into a fight without first assessing his enemy feeling himself totally invincible as to not need to use his head. She felt she had every right to blame him. She had told him she'd sensed something amiss and she hadn't liked it. From what she knew there wasn't supposed to be anyone stronger than them and Juunana had pointed out such with a supremely arrogant laugh which at the time she had agreed with. Yet they had been and he'd told her too keep out of it which she had done though rather put out. They hadn't seen her though and she'd kept out of the way wondering what she would do next and which place she could raze to the ground. When the rest of them had turned up like an ambush she had known he'd stood no chance and hadn't been stupid enough to make herself known when they still didn't know she was there.

However when they had taken him she'd been intrigued as to why and where they were taking him too just as much as not being willing to have him taken out of her sight. She had soon found out from bits of the conversation. She hadn't been foolish enough o think she could take a shipload of them on and in the humans that were being taken in she didn't have any inters. Realising they were collecting slaves was easy enough; you not notice you would have to be dumb especially with recent events. Maybe the idea of dressing up as a guy had been a stupid one and not entirely thought out but how else was she to have had a chance of being placed where her brother had been. Funnily it had worked.

The drawback had been that he was unconscious, something hard to believe but he was alright and no matter how hard she tried she hadn't been able to rouse him. She had later found out why. She'd easily broken free, _obviously_ since it had only been made strong enough to keep in humans. She'd almost got him out, even if it had been in the undignified position of having him slung across her shoulder. She supposed the appearance of the guards suddenly round the very corner she'd been going round was a fluke. Some kind of sick card fate had dealt out of everything else it could have done in that moment but she had been more than ready to blast her way out since she had been so close to the exit.

What she hadn't bargained for was the funny shaped weapon they had pointed at her. She was to come to realise later on that it was something they used quite often. She'd blacked out before she could protest at the obscenely huge jolt of electricity she had received and woken up hours later to find herself laying next to her twin. He'd been sitting glaring at something on the other side. She had then found that the huge space round them wasn't because they were still the only ones in the containment room but rather because all the other occupants had moved to the opposite side of the room all of them squeezing back into that one small space obviously trying to put as much distance between themselves and the raven haired boy. She noticed the blackened part of the wall above their heads and she didn't need to be told what Juunana had done to set them all on edge. She had risen hand on her head.

I get headaches? She had wondered in surprise at the pounding in her head. The she had remembered. "We have to get out of this place." She said. "Too late for that, we are already in space."

"So bloody what? We could still turn the blasted ship around." She muttered angry fire burning in her eyes. He looked amused at her colourful language. She had a totally 'put out' expression on her face. "Tried that already. Seems this particular unit was built with our kind in mind." He said sarcastically as he gestured to the door. It absorbs everything I hit it with and the walls aren't any better. See that blackened space above their heads? It should be a huge gaping hole not a blackened smear. How insulted do you think I felt?" He was silent a moment watching the different emotions chase each other across her face before saying "What did you do to yourself?"

"What I could to save your ungrateful hide." She said running her hand over her shorn hair.

"I like it." He'd said. She'd given a 'humph' "never liked what Gero did to it anyway, I won't be fashioned after _his_ idea of the perfect hairstyle, besides, that's not the only thing I did." She had said referring to the way she was still dressed. He'd looked surprised "What?! You mean you are not my brother?" she'd felt she would laugh but she had clocked him one over the head instead "oh shut up!" she had said then thinking that maybe it wouldn't be so bad after all, they were together, all they had to do was get a ship back home. That had turned out to be easier said than done.

Sleep finally came, as did a smile.

Soon…they must let down their guard soon…

**End chapter one**


	3. reluctant friend

**Authors note**; Aymei sighs giving a brief stretch and then wiggling her fingers experimentally before bringing them down to the keypad. She begins to type just as Lexi saunters in. What she types is a simple enough statement. 'Okay, back again. I won't say a thing till the end. "Promise" *promptly shuts mouth*'. Lexi peers over her shoulder covering the line in a single glance takes another glance at her sisters resolutely shut mouth and then plants herself opposite Aymei watching her from underneath her lashes as she brandishes a bar of chocolate with a feigned casual air. 

Aymei's head snaps up at the rustling sound eyes brightening. "Would you like a piece of chocolate?" Lexi raises her hand before Aymei can speak smiling knowing very well how much a 'promise' means to her sister. "Bearing in mind that you _promised_ not to say a thing and that you can't get a piece unless you actually say 'yes'." 

Aymei frowns sending the brown haired imp a look that should have rightly reduced Lexi to smoldering ashes. "Too bad you promised huh?" she says tucking into the bar with almost sinful relish. Aymei shakes her fist silently promising payback. Lexi merely grins. 

**Chapter Two **

**Diary Entry**; The_ trades are being made and it's about time too, though it does seem like no more will be brought for now which is a relief and yet saddening. I didn't get a chance to go with them. I excel at my job and yet I miss out of the recognition granted to fortunate ones not even half as good as me. I'm glad there will be no more for now…the incessant crying and shouting was beginning to wear my nerves thin. Better yet it is nearly always the new ones sent off first, which deals with the crying ones, along with the troublemakers who are next, either that or they were killed if they were just too much trouble, then the remaining demand is filled with the other slaves. I know the routine by heart. It's going to take a day or so to finish this round of trading. _

_The degradation of a species is not really my idea of a challenge and is more than often what takes place. Thinking of these creatures as a species that actually deserves an iota of respect despite their so lowly status worries me. I wonder if that is what is holding me back? Was it known? I steel myself from this strange conscience I seemed to have developed as best I can…I shouldn't have one. I can't be expected to do my job properly with it…and I love my job and what it could be if I was given half a chance…I know I do. _

_Yet, I did find myself hoping 'he' wasn't amongst the ones to be sent away. For the first time I actually saw some emotion in his eyes. The yearning. He'd actually wanted to go. Not that I blame him, every one seems to want to leave but **I** would deprive him of it, forget my conscience. I have my ways but meanwhile what was the harm in hope if it was sufficient enough to one moving round like an actual living being and not like something already dead. The rumours in their own way add to this constant hope if one believed them…it couldn't be hidden forever. _

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**I see what you're going through   
****It's an up hill climb… **

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As she'd expected she was given another titanic pile of sacks to carry yet again. How he'd found another huge stack of sacks was beyond her but she was willing to bet that whichever way he'd done it, his desire for her constant disparagement had been the driving force behind his triumph. 

Remarkable what one could do with the proper motivation. 

Yet as she got on with it she was able to overlook the aggravating guard since the focal theme of the day seemed to be the banquet proposed for today. Remarkably the conversation amongst the slaves seemed to revolve around what kind of scraps and leftovers they would be able to hoard than the reason for it in the first place. She didn't in actuality care about the raison d'être. Not really, but it was impossible not to pick up on it. Especially being on palace grounds. You were inevitably ordained to come across an assemblage of guards every now and then that couldn't help but flaunt the fact. She'd gathered that the reasons were two fold. The prince's victorious return and the fact that they had yet another planet under their belt. She cared nothing for their enemies, heck, she would pat this Freiza guy on the back right before she killed him for one enemy didn't suffer another to live. If half the things she'd heard about _him was true she'd have just got the good sense to get in there before he could. _

What she felt instead was anger at every time 'earth' was mentioned. She hadn't had any real ties to the place, she'd been ready to relegate it to ruins anyways but the thing was she felt _deprived. It was __hers and __she should have the stupid world in her hands not snatched from her and to make things worse she'd been taken like some kind of possession along with the same humans she'd wanted to put the fear of god into. _

It was like adding insult to injury. 

She spotted the tiny girl that hurried past her and she was inexplicably drawn to her before she even realised it. She couldn't be more than seven and she looked, put delicately, _terrible. She seemed to be on the brink of some illness…most likely. She couldn't quite pinpoint it she just knew…felt it. The child herself wouldn't know just yet. She was more than likely be one of the only few children slaves on planet Vegeta only here by mistake. Children were considered useless so they weren't brought except where they got in the way and ended up having to be dragged along. Schedules were important and they would not be altered because some child ended up where it wasn't supposed to be. _

They were probably the lucky ones as they got left behind on earth more often than not along with the others that didn't quite meet 'standards' and not because the Saiyans shared some empathy for them but because they would be more useful fully grown and the planet ultimately belonged to them now so they might as well remain till they did. It wasn't like they could escape. The weak here were considered a plague and ultimately useless, most of which were killed on earth especially if they got in the way. Half the population had been wiped out already. 

They weren't stupid…they could see the long term potentials of having people remain on earth, an almost ceaseless supply of slaves when needed…and the fact that they controlled half the planets around now including earth it meant they'd claimed one more planet to ultimately rule over, no one could touch the planet with out their say so especially since the market for human slaves seemed increasingly large. Everyone seemed to want one even though the humans were considered weak things. It was more a status thing she supposed. Being involved in tradings with the Saiyans that seemed to want for nothing was a highly prized thing. Such required much favour and with the recent defeat of Frieza and his father they'd shown again their superiority and just what would happen to planets and their rulers that were fool enough to get in their way. 

Keep your friends close but your enemies closer still. 

She couldn't quite remember where she'd hear that phrase but did it even matter. 

She absently wondered how many of these kind of children would she have destroyed like this and left having to fend for themselves. It posed the question, no matter how much she hated this race of Saiyans, how was _she any better than them? She may rant and she may rave but at the end of the day wasn't she just peeved because she'd been beaten to the punch? _

****** 

She still wasn't finished by mid afternoon and everyone had gone and returned from one of those eagerly awaited breaks of the day. Again she was left behind to finish up and she had a vague suspicion that somehow she was getting nowhere. It was almost like for every one she took two more were added and she had a niggling suspicion…no, it was more than that, rephrased more appropriately it was a whopping big conviction that that was exactly what was happening especially with the smile playing round the guards mouth every time she came back for another. She simply bent to pick the next one mistakenly knocking down another, which rolled down and landed inches from his feet. He towered over her or tried to since they were unfortunately the same height. "What did you do that for?" 

She didn't answer. 

"Well, what do you have to say for yourself '_slave'?" he queried. _

Right now it would preferably be that he didn't speak so close to her face…his breath reeked! 

She turned away to reach for the sack when his hand closed round the scruff of her shirt pulling her back to face him. She looked down at his hand then up at him almost questioning. 

"Let go of me." She said calmly more worried about her shirt getting torn, after which there would be a whole lot of explaining to do and something she would preferably like to avoid. 

"Or what?" he queried with an angry snarl in her face. She said nothing; the only thing that showed her patience level had just been breached was her gaze burning with a silent and perilous anger brought to life. Her deceptively unruffled expression remained generally the same. 

Her hand closed round his where it was latched onto her shirt and squeezed. The smile that touched her lips held gratifying satisfaction as she heard one or two fingers snap. 

The guard recoiled crying out in pain and utter disbelief. He looked at the delicate features before him and back at his crumpled hand. The boy's expression had returned to an emotionless mask. It took all of a few seconds for him to get over the impossibility factor and foolishly lift his other hand his intent to strike those delicately defiant features. 

A faint smirk touched her mouth. 

Some people just never learned. 

Someone cleared their throat making them both turn. Juuhachi took in the intruder calmly her face registering no recognition and no care. It was just another guard to her. Every one of them were the same as the next. However the guard's hand had dropped quickly and was standing almost to rod-like attention. 

"What's going on here?" The newcomer asked. 

The guard retold the whole incident obviously from his own dishonest point of view which fully exonerated himself so much so that when he'd finished he came out looking lily white with a glowing halo kicked to boot. From the conversation that ensued and excluded her she came to know that the new guard was called Zahi. 

"Go and get that checked and you're relieved of duty for the rest of the day, I'll handle things." He said simply. He then looked at Juuhachi as the guard left smirking. "As for you, finish the job you've been assigned." He turned to the other men who had been straining over their work to see what the hullabaloo had been about but not daring to stop working, however with the next thing Zahi said they all looked up not because they were willing but because this momentary distraction offered them a small break no matter how tiny from their back-breaking work. "I need one of you join him." He said gesturing briefly towards Juuhachi. Everyone went silent. 

No one was disposed to offer, who ever was to be chosen would have to be selected by the guard himself and thus leave that unfortunate person with no other choice but definitely _not because they had offered to themselves. She felt indignantly angry and turned back to her work. She didn't need any of them to '__help'. _

"I'll do it." Came a familiar voice and with it came the memory of its earlier phrase of introduction from which she'd first heard it. She looked up from the sack she'd bent to pick and sure enough it was him. 

"Good, both of you get that shifted immediately" He said simply. His gaze held Juuhachi's stubborn one for a moment as if searching for something before moving over to the other workers to issue a whole new set of orders. She gave a mental 'humph'. She was not going to feel grateful to him because he'd got someone to help, her opinion of the Saiyans was still not changed in the least. And that was resolutely the position she kept even when she had to admit just a tiny bit that it'd been better having help and a guard that just got on with his job instead of waging personal vendetta's. 

****** 

Juuhachi was more than surprised when Oswald and Bisman sat down at the table she'd come to know as hers. She hadn't minded so much when Krillin had joined her. They'd come to some quiet kind of friendship during the sack lifting experience. But these people she didn't know and wasn't prepared to put up with. Well that wasn't entirely true. 

She knew Bisman, just not fondly. 

The last time they'd been anywhere near each other it had been the day after she'd found out Juunana was gone. He'd come up to her spouting all kinds of nonsense about how he'd known this that and the other. Utter drivel that seemed to consist primarily of the word 'evil', he irritatingly seemed to love that word and that was his rationalization for everything 'Saiyan' . She hadn't needed to be told what she'd already sensed herself and she hadn't wanted to be told what evil things lurked in the night and took people away, she had not needed his madness at that point. She especially hadn't needed him telling her about her brother's potential demise because everyone that disappeared was dead and because Saiyans were 'evil'. She'd been unhappy and irritated enough as it was and when he'd tried to snatch her lunch from her it had been the last straw. She hadn't really wanted it, true, but the way he'd just reached for it…it was the audacity of him that had made her react badly and the way he'd kept going on about 'the things Bisman has seen' his name annoyingly forming more than half of his babbling speech. It had made her snap angrily at him. What a nut case. All she'd wanted then was for him to get lost…anywhere it hadn't mattered, if he hadn't she would have probably fatally harmed him. 

They however knew _Krillin and just seemed to assume that since he was sitting they were invited too. Yet Oswald did seem eager to impart something. _

"Have you heard what's happened?" was the first thing he said as they sat down. 

She shot a glare at Bisman who once he'd sat down kept giving her death looks. "What do you mean?" Krillin asked forgetting Juuhachi for a moment and thus not noticing the glaring match going on between his newly acquired friend and Bisman. 

"It's being rumoured that a slave escaped on the outside." Oswald announced in a low voice. Juuhachigou's interest was suddenly piqued. 'Escape' that was the word that registered first and she was suddenly all ears, ignoring Bisman completely. Oswald continued "…there was some sort of situation and they ran. Two slaves. But the strange thing is that they weren't ever caught and neither were the owners seen the next day. That is till people got suspicious when they didn't turn up where they were supposed to be that day and they went in search of them, the owners that is, a man and his son some say. Do you know what they found? Two bodies. They were found in the forest near their home…guess who-" he broke off suddenly resuming his annoying habit of shovelling his food down and thus stopping his narration so suddenly that Krillin felt deprived, his attention having been caught. 

"What happened to them?" he asked deciding to brave Oswald talking over his food. 

"Well they were found dead weren't they. Horribly mutilated…that might be an exaggeration but what ever hit them wasn't pretty and it would have had to be strong too. It's being kept under wraps but you know the old saying 'nothing's hidden under the sun'. They say they never found the slaves. They seemed to have just disappeared into…nothing. You can imagine how incensed this has made the Saiyans, it has them set them on edge. They are trying to keep it quiet so that the slaves don't get any ideas, but this isn't the first time this has happened either _and there's more…it's rumoured that these slaves had help." _

"Who had help?" Juuhachi asked. Oswald looked surprised a little at the fact that the blonde haired boy that had till now ignored the very existence of every other living person was asking him a direct question but before he could answer Bisman spoke up catching Juuhachi's attention just like he'd wanted to hating to have lost Juuhachi's attention in the beginning. 

"The slaves." He affirmed, "…had help they did…from the black bandits." 

"Shut up!" Oswald hissed horrified and inadvertedly showering Bisman. 

"Will you shut your trap when you eat you _oaf!" Bisman barked back angrily, almost before Oswald had finished getting the words out of his mouth. _

"You know you're not supposed to say that name you _fool…if the guards heard you, you would be trussed up and quartered or worse for sure. You __know that!" Oswald continued his voice having dropped several octaves but acquiring a rough tone of apprehensive admonishment. _

"Why?" Krillin asked suddenly intrigued. 

"That's the rumoured rebels…Bisman knows a lot see. Some say it's slaves that came together afters being freed and wanting to help others get free too. Bisman hears them say that others think they've been in hiding so long their owners gave up looking, cause no one finds them. No one says anything. It makes guards angry, angry cause they know nothing, can't catch them, never caught a slave whose ran with the bandits. They disappear. If they is caught, they kill themselves before the guards take them…not one alive, not one." 

Juuhachi was completely enraptured. It was possible to escape…there was a way off this planet. She didn't go as far as believing in some made up 'black bandits' that the fevered minds of the slaves had created. Their need was simply to create something to believe in, a symbol of some hope no matter how ridiculous, to merely keep their sanity. The name in itself was unbelievable. If any such 'black bandits' existed they would've been sure to rid themselves of such a name as that if they had any iota of sense and good taste. It sounded like something out of those derelict washed up old movies humans found so entertaining. For all Gero's intelligence he'd found such things amusing too…more was the pity. No, what she was most interested in was that it was possible to escape. There was a way as others had escaped before. 

"You mean they actually escape…where do they go?" Krillin asked mirroring somewhat exactly what she was wondering. 

Bisman was about to speak when Oswald silenced him with a well-placed jab. "What Bisman neglected to add is more often than not they turn up dead and no one knows where those who don't get caught go…sometimes people begin to wonder if they actually existed in the first place. Remember these are just rumours." 

"But the dead bodies in the forest of the owners-" Krillin began 

"Just rumours," Oswald insisted "_We haven't seen them have we? If you see the dead body then you can say what you will." Oswald suddenly leaned in closely looking into far off blue eyes. "Forget about it Juuhachi…" Juuhachi looked surprised suddenly snapping out of the tiny world she had receded into. _

"What?" 

"I know what you're thinking. I saw it in the eyes of another slave I knew…Bisman knew him too." Oswald said shooting an accusing glance at Bisman "He died trying to escape…no one has _ever escaped from within the palace but he tried to, it became something of an obsession with him and it ended up killing him…don't go down the same road." _

Juuhachi was angry…angry at him presuming he could tell her what to do and what not to do and for trying to snatch away the only means of escape possible and worse still for even daring to say her name like some how a few minutes of talking made them close enough for him to presume to give her his advice. She rose "When I need your advice I _won't ask for it!" she said. _

"It would be a good thing if you did become obsessed…go mad just like Bisman and die escaping. Save us lots of trouble it would, stupid boy!" Bisman hissed unable to keep from butting in quite maliciously. Juuhachi took a deep, deep breath and practically ground the words out through her teeth "One day you will push me too far." She left angrily. 

Krillin rose to go after Juuhachi's retreating figure but Oswald stopped him. "He is sensible, leave him be." 

Krillin resumed his seat. For a guy that shoveled down food and had the worst table manners he'd had the misfortune to meet there was more to Oswald that met the eye. 

"Juuhachi is _stupid!" Bisman reaffirmed. "Stupid, __stupid boy….Bisman __hates him, You shouldn't have told him Oz, should've let him go and __die!" Bisman said grabbing his plate like he was terrified someone would pilfer the half finished contents and left the table in an angry huff. Oswald shrugged giving a small smile of reassurance to Krillin who looked quite troubled and perplexed. _

"He'll get over it." He said simply. 

************** 

Juuhachi placed herself down onto the nearby stone. _A chance for escape, which wasn't. It was there but it wasn't. She hated having to sneak around to do things and she hated the idea of 'escaping' so covertly but if that was the only way she could get off the planet without being stopped so be it. It did not mean she had to like it. She didn't believe in fate, but if it did exist it had sure made a mess of her life and it was having a damn good time in the process. Blasting her way through things would have been the natural answer to obstacles in her way but it would achieve nothing right now. Something else was required and she wasn't sure she knew what…or if she even had it. She'd waited long enough and she was not going to spend the rest of her existence her. She would not! She wished __he were here. If only to tell her they would get of this planet…and even if there wasn't a chance in hell, __he would make it possible to believe because his egotism and over-confidence was big enough for two. _

He shouldn't have left. 

He should have tried harder to stay. 

How _hard could it have been? _

She knew this line of thought was unreasonable but she didn't care. She felt like she had been wronged. How could he not let her know, how could he have just let her remain here. When she caught up with that no good— 

"Hey, are you okay?" 

The voice made her look up. It wasn't one she recognised. A pair of blue eyes looked back at her slight concern hovering in their depths. Wisps of aquamarine poked out from under the material tied round her head framing her face. 

"Yes." She found herself saying. 

The girl nodded in acceptance. "It's just that you seemed pretty down." 

"I'm fine." Juuhachi reaffirmed almost waspishly but then sighed and mumbled a barely audible apology. It was strange, not long before everyone had left her alone now all of a sudden she couldn't get far enough away from them and have a moments peace. 

"It's okay, everyone loses it here." 

"I have not 'lost' it!" Juuhachi said indignantly her mind suddenly conjuring up the image of Bisman. Now _he had lost it. __She hadn't. _

"Okay, _I'm sorry." She said with a smile "Me and my mouth huh…I talk before I think sometimes—" They both looked up as a name was called. It had come from a dark haired girl a few feet away. She had the same kind of material wrapped round her head so tightly that the only indication of her hair colour was the long raven black braid that casually reclined against her shoulder pooling in the folded cradle of her arms. She also had a slight frown on her face but it was most probably due to the fact that she had been left alone her tightly folded arms being one sure sign of discomfort and fear. _

'_Bulma' that had been the name called. _

The aquamarine haired girl waved a succinct motion that requested a bit more patience. "I'll be there in a minute 'Chi." She turned back to Juuhachi "I'll no doubt be seeing you round." Another bright smile "I hope you sort out what ever it is that's bothering you." She virtually sang as she left. She could only watch the girl leave dumbfounded. 'Strange' was what she was. She rose and walked off least anyone else pop up out of nowhere. 

*********** 

And she did see her again, during the feast, but as at that point Bulma hadn't seen her. Chances of keeping to the shadows however were dashed when she got highly glamorous job of constantly replenishing goblets. The guard who'd got his fingers broken earlier was looking for payback though and with the glares being sent her way it had never been more assured. Silence had fallen not long before and Krillin had promptly informed her that it was the King and his son Vegeta. Juuhachi wasn't really eavesdropping, she just happened to hear them as they walked by too engrossed in what they were saying to see her. They were both dressed rather plainly just like almost every other female slave there was and still had those clothes tied round their heads. She figured they weren't in the harem or more of an effort would have been made on them. You instantly knew the harem if you did even get to see them because they were dressed in finer materials…just not much of it. 

"It's not so bad you know." The dark haired one that had been called 'Chi' said. 

"Not so bad!?…What planet do _you live on?" there was a pause as Bulma realised what she had just said "No, don't answer that." There was some sort of scuffle and then Bulma's voice again a low angry hush; "No" _

"Will you just do it Bulma!" came the dark haired girl's adamant voice. 

"This is degrading!" 

"Do you have any other way of getting through this? We are here, make the best of it!" 

"I refuse to 'make the best of it' because there is no 'best of it' on this damn planet Chi-chi!" 

Then the voices trailed off into nothing. Only then did Juuhachi turn to watch them as they continued on. She gave an imperceptible shrug of nonchalance and then went back to her own thoughts not seeing the look Krillin sent her way. 

It held worry. 

Because to him the blonde haired boy had been strangely quiet ever since the incident at the table earlier. He seemed to have regressed into a world of his own but before he could say anything the boy walked off with a single word 'refills' slightly indicating the jug he held. Krillin shrugged almost imperceptibly. 

************** 

When Juuhachi hadn't come back minutes later Krillin began to wonder. It didn't take long to get more wine…not this long anyway. Maybe he was having problems or something. Krillin looked round at the dwindling supply of red liquid. 

It was a pity he couldn't sense him he could probably then have had an idea of where he was and if he was okay. He seemed to be excellent in keeping his ki masked so much so it was done every hour of the day…he just could _not feel anything. He had felt a slight energy rise when they'd been working together but apart from that the boy was still as much a mystery as he had been when they had met. _

He simply could not pry anything out of him either and it wasn't for the want of not trying for Juuhachi seemed to smoothly avoid them half the time without even realising it. He might have attained some kind of friendship with him but that was entirely on the boy's terms so far. He waited a bit longer but when Juuhachi wasn't forth coming and waiting any longer would properly cause a whole lot of palaver, he looked round for the guard a thought having suddenly popped into his head. He remembered the way the guard had kept an almost vigilant watch on Juuhachi all evening. Almost like he'd been waiting for a chance to strike…and now he was nowhere to be seen and neither was Juuhachi. 

It just might be possible that… 

Authors note**Sorry I took so long to bring this part but--no, no, there is no excuse, chuck those tomatoes! If you're wondering the owner of the diary will be revealed soon enough…don't worry, you'll most probably be able to guess before then. I know there isn't much happening yet but don't worry so much, it starts getting interesting from round about the third chapter...

Next chapter; 

things unravel...they never stay hidden  
Chi-chi gone, Juu in trouble   
Help waits and will come to you  
...Kakarotto?

I will try and update as soon as I can. Later days then, I'll be seeing you. ^_^. As for you reviewers, I know I haven't said thanks yet but I'm talking too much right now. Look out for my message to you in the next chapter cause I do appreciate you. Oh and yes, I did realise I use chunky paragraphs…Argh! The scourge of my existence the bane upon my writing. Will I never be free?! 

Have fun guessing what will happen next! oh and I promise you that you will find out why I choose that really corny name 'black bandits' it will explain itself in time and you will hit your head and say 'of course'. ^_^ 


	4. Nighttime events?

  


Chapter three

  
  
  


**Diary entry**; _The main part of the Trades seems to have been completed for now.Of course they aren't held in the palace courtyards rather they are transported out of palace grounds. That much never changes.He however won't be going anywhere, that much was assured, no, that is no longer the problem. Rather, after **the** incident, now only whispered of, he surprises me. He has no need for any one to worry about him. And he is definitely not as weak as he appears …he can't be human…no human could have stood up to the guard albeit he wasn't the strongest of them, he still couldn't have been beaten by a normal human. But now he is open to a lot of attention and with that I am sure not even he can compete.He's become something so intriguing I find myself worrying about how he's getting on; the only difference is that now he isn't just being watched by me…he's not my personal discovery anymore._

_Not all males are safe…It's wrong I know that much._

_________________________ 

And I'm feeling sorry   
But I know it will come to you   
_________________________ 

Juuhachi sighed in almost unconscious delight as she stepped out into the night air feeling it ruffle her hair gently. The days may be warm but the nights were gloriously cool. The grounds were clear with almost all the slaves inside still busy with the feast and any others having been locked away in their respective cells. She would have given anything for that. To have been left in peace. All the guards seemed to be indoors still stuffing her faces only a few speckling the grounds outside where some where keeping the other guards, who had been unfortunate enough to be on duty today, company filling the air every now and then with rancorous laughter. Yet the defence of the grounds never waned even for the slightest minute. 

She had to admire their tenacity if nothing else. The night air made a hugely refreshing change from the stuffiness of the hall. It may be huge beyond belief but it was still too enclosed for her liking. Just too much people around…she still wasn't used to being round so many without growing irritated and highly strung. She decided to make this walk to the storehouse a languid one, considering it wasn't far anyway so it would be a challenge to make it longer. She gave a lopsided smile. She wouldn't so much call it the 'store house' as she would rather call it 'store city' everything with the Saiyans seemed to border on big or nothing at all, 'small' wasn't good enough. Then again with the way they ate it wasn't at all surprising. 

She didn't sense the persons come up behind her till they were upon her, her thoughts having momentarily dampened her natural reflexes, and she turned quickly just in time to feel the fist crash into her face and send her reeling back before she could react. 

Okay, she thought coming to a sharp stop, everyone deserved a chance to draw first blood. She wiped at the liquid running down her nose. 

He just wasn't good for her. 

Both her patience and restraint snapped this time and not in a nice way. The gaze that looked up at him had a very nasty glint to it and that smile was not right somehow. He actually stepped back a little though he quickly regained control of any more unconscious moves. Her gaze didn't need to leave the face of the man, destined to be lying half dying on the ground any moment now, to be able to see the friend that had tagged along, quite lost amongst the thrall of the wine he was currently holding in a bottle but still conscious enough to be a complete nuisance as he threw his head back and laughed at her. 

And fell to the ground inert. 

The action, a single flawless move and a painful sound of flesh contacting headlong with flesh, had scarcely been recorded by the victim or even by the man who virtually gaped at her in surprise even as he caught the blow now aimed for his face in repayment for the one he'd dealt out earlier. He celebrated too soon his smug expression quickly reconfiguring itself into a mask of pain at the blow that drove itself into his stomach making him hunch over. She gave him no time what so ever to recover and sent her knee crashing into his face sending his face painfully upwards and right into the perfect position to receive the next blow that slammed into the side of his head with terrible perfection. 

He reeled back stumbling and tripping over the prostrate form of his friend still out cold on the ground. She felt he would let it rest there but he didn't and came at her again and she simply moved while he thundered past anger making him careless. "Give this up." She said angrily as she realised they were beginning to draw attention to themselves. He merely fixed her with a gaze that bordered on a crazy desire to rip her to shreds for this humiliation and came at her again. 

She was ready for him. 

Krillin had to push his way through the small crowd that had formed. Yet even with small crowds he tended to have problems such as alluded to his unfortunate height but he accomplished the move forward more due to strength than luck sincepeople more often than not did not realise his existence as was the case now. 

His worst suspicions had been confirmed even as he'd heard the noise upon his arrival most of it from the guards who'd been encouraging their own to land a punch and he did manage to a few times…right before he was knocked out. Then his blonde haired friend just stood there, as if all of a sudden aware of the crowd. 

There was a short moment of stunned silence and then like a horrible prediction of doom there was a culmination of angry growls as some of the guards not totally drunk as the two defeated ones had unfortunately been rushed towards the boy their intent to rip him to shreds. 

There was a flicker of fear on that face…it was fleeting but Krillin saw it and wouldn't anyone be if about a dozen very angry Saiyans suffused with a need to gut you came hurtling towards you with frenzied looks in their eyes, he was about to react, quite what he was going to do or could be able to do he didn't know yet but he could figure that out at the last minute couldn't he?, there was an angry shout that promptly dissipated the angry guards and they stepped away from the boy who curiously had lifted his hand…whether this was a defensive move Krillin wasn't sure but it reminded him of something, something his mind was just too busy to dwell on right now. 

Someone, another of these guards, tall, impressively built and extremely longhaired, longer that he'd seen on a Saiyan so far, but obviously with more rank than those that had rushed out, stepped forward and with a brief, sharply given command had a bunch of guards scuttling to his orders promptly restraining the boy who didn't even struggle as he was carted off and needlessly dragged roughly in a kind of not so subtle payback for not being able to dispense their own form of justice. 

Krillin breathed a sigh of relief, having felt for a moment that he would resist and make matters a whole lot worse. He knew with a dreadful feeling what Juuhachi would be in for. Slaves got punished all the time, true, but some actions were ascribed so much more than the normal punishment. He wondered for the umpteenth time since he'd come out looking for Juuhachi why he hadn't followed the boy or better still gone instead. He just hadn't been thinking. 

Some friend he was. 

************** 

Bulma was rudely awoken by the cell door suddenly being opened. She looked over at Chi-Chi who was lying huddled in sleep waist length locks unbound and fanning her back and shoulders acting almost like a dark blanket of sorts. That was till she shook her awake harshly the move one of urgency even as her own gaze widened with the guards' advance on them. 

There seemed to be a brief minuscule moment of decision and then they latched onto Chi-chi yanking her to her feet roughly hardly giving her time to react and that was the whole idea. The element of surprise before she could resist. 

She realised with a sudden sickening feeling that they were to be separated and she may never see her friend again. She latched onto Chi-chi just as she reached out for her. Even in the dim lighting of this place she could see the terrified look on Chi-chi's face. Her name fell off Chi-chi's lips like somehow she could make everything right again. 

She clung to her refusing to let go of the dark haired woman 

They'd become friends on one of the slave ships and hadn't been parted since. They knew no one else but themselves and had done everything together, kept low profiles, worked, ate, avoided the female gang leaders that had arisen in some of the slave quarters more by stroke of luck than genius especially when most were sadistically malevolent. Half the leaders gave over girls to the guards, harem, personal use, you wanted the fear of god put into someone, make someone's life even more of a misery, turn their gazes away from a blatant wrong doing, anything really, they didn't really care, it meant they got more food, more privacy, clothes, a whole range of benefits that no other slave could hope to get or even touch unless they were friends with these leaders or part of their collective and more often than not there was so much treachery rife in these gangs that being part of them was not always a good thing…it just made things easier…as long as you remained lucky. 

Now they wanted to split them up. 

After all they'd been through together. 

She wasn't going to have it. Not when Chi-chi was practically bawling her eyes out and crying her name intermingled and mumbled up with strings of 'don't let them take me.' It was heart wrenching. It strengthened her resolve to hold on no matter what, she wasn't willing to give up easily. Not while Chi-chi seemed to really believe 'Bulma the master genius' as she'd teasingly come to call her after having saved both their hides numerous times from their uncountable escapades. She wasn't about to let her down now. Not if she could help it. They'd just have to take them both. 

And then she felt it. The awful pain to her stomach. 

It took the pain to clear a little before she could think and realise that she'd been dealt a vicious blow to the stomach that left her almost winded. Worse still she no longer had a hold on her friend. "Chi-chi." She expelled as she felt her grip slip from hers. 

"Bulma!" it was a cry full of dread. Fear of the unknown and fear for her fiend as she had fallen clutching her stomach, fear that this would be the last time they would set eyes on each other again. What was it that had been said about these nighttime disappearances? She didn't want to be one of them. 

Bulma caught hold of her again but her hold wasn't as strong as it had been before. She was wincing visibly from some sort of injury she must have acquired even as she was practically dragged out of the cell. She braced her feet against the door way hands clinging to Chi-chi's arms pulling back refusing to let go all the while blessing the guards' ears with a litany of profusely unladylike explanatives. She would've kept her hold too if she hadn't been savagely dealt an impatient blow to the side of her head and knocked back into the cell the door being promptly closed behind her. 

She flew to the door banging almost madly against its hard unyielding texture. Angry, sad, miserable, lonely and above all scared for what would happen to her friend. She eventually gave up banging her anger frizzling out into unhappy tears of desolation when she finally accepted the fact that no matter how much she banged and shouted they wouldn't bring her back. She sank into a miserable ball and cried till she hadn't the energy to cry any more. 

****** 

Consciousness was a thing sluggishly found and her environment came into focus slowly as did the remembrance of the events that had led here. She groaned her hand going to her head. Damn those people. Did they _have _to use those annoying weapons? She'd followed them willingly enough so much so they'd even voiced their disbelief at her ability to have knocked out two guards and attributed it instead to the fact that they had been drunk. Spiteful things that they were she'd supposed they'd try to get their own back but or that alone she would love to wring their neck. That one contraption had to be the bane in her life right now. 

It was effective though. 

It made her wonder just what else they packed into it besides the obvious. She let her hand flop back down. How long had she been unconscious exactly? 

…And suddenly that wasn't the focal issue. 

It was slow, just like everything else returning to her. There was someone near and in addition there was the unnerving feeling of being watched intently. It wasn't too near because the darkness that her gaze had at first tricked her into thinking was all round her when it actually wasn't had receded and she'd noticed the faint golden-brown tinged lighting had not been a trick of her eyes either. Wherever she was, and she had a faint idea of where, the need for lighting obviously wasn't a big thing.She suddenly realised she was facing a wall when she tried to rise in the wrong direction and almost ramming up into it. She almost laughed at herself, if she could do that with a raging headache turning as slowly as possible she lay back down giving into the pounding request to be returned to the flat surface of the bed. 

That's when she saw it. 

Someone watching her. 

At least that was right if her senses were functioning properly but when she decided to make sure of what she thought she'd seen there wasn't anyone there.She closed her eyes not trusting them anymore. She was already aware now that she wasn't alone; there were other persons…just not in the same cell as she found herself now. However that didn't explain the figure watching her…if it had actually been there at all. 

********** 

Sounds of steel against a wet stone filled the air almost rendering Bardock's low growl of something akin to frustration, inaudible as he watched his son training. He pretended not to be watching but he was, his gaze straying every now and then to the dark haired man. His gaze shifted to include the other with him, his own dark hair a much longer length. It struck him how very different they were, starkly so. 

Of course they were different being brother's but it was so much more than that. He was proud of Raditz, he thought as the longhaired saiyan smoothly evaded a flying fist, but _Kakkarot_, now he was a different story entirely. 

He'd turned out all… '_wrong_'. He even insisted on being called 'Goku'. He didn't know who to blame for that, and he'd be damned if he called him that, but there just hadn't been something right about that boy for along time. He acted nothing like a Saiyan. It wasn't a lack of strength, he thought as the shorter haired man skilfully landed a blow that took the other by surprise. It was more his behaviour when _not_ fighting. He did things that were highly un-saiyan like. 

Unlike his elder brother who was an excellent fighter, excelled in strength, was one of the princes close guards, had gone on numerous purging missions, and had received so much praise and commendations. 

Kakkarot on the other hand shied away from purging planets, he wasn't even happy about the idea of becoming a royal guard, what other position could a saiya-jn long to excel towards than that, to be at the princes side, to live for the battle and to command dominance and respect, to have people say your name in hushed, reverent voices and say 'yes he is a great warrior' 

It was even a miracle that he'd got the boy in to the ranks in the beginning. His acceptance had been more to do with the fact that his family had loyally served the monarchs of this planet for as long as it had been and now after such a long unblemished history, he, Bardock, known well for his loyalty and undaunted strength, he who had purged planets by the side of his prince and king, _he_ out of the whole family lineage had had to go and have the deviant brat, the black sheep that would end up ruining generations of heritage and family honour. Why not just _one_ right? The boy didn't seem to take anything seriously, he was adamantly against everything Saiyan-sin, he at times begun to wonder if he was even his own spawn. 

His mate had said he would outgrow it when he'd spotted it in the beginning, then again she would say that, she was the boy's mother…they were typically blind. What he hated most of all was that he _knew _Kakkarot was strong, a very good fighter with the potential to be so much better than even his sibling but he just refused to fight and do things he considered 'wrong' letting all that potential go to waste. 

Wrong, right? Where had all that come from? To be a warrior and an effective one there was _no _entertaining a 'conscience' it was a disease. That was the first thing learnt. 

Matters of the heart were things to be controlled and _never_ have them control you. He thought about his now dead mate. Except in some things. He realised suddenly that he'd stopped sharpening his sword and was watching them though deep in thought. 

He grunted as the short haired man got flung half a distance having taken out his brother but moving forward worried that he may be hurt and offering his hand in a placating gesture. Foolish thing to do as Raditz proved having taken advantage of his brother's action. 

"See that Seripa…tell me how you expect to get _that_ boy to act more like a Saiyan?" he said not needing to turn to realise the arrival of the short haired woman that had come up behind him and currently seated herself. His friend merely grinned as she looked over at he boy now peeling himself up from his painful position on the ground laughing like it was the funniest thing in the world and not the shameful 'butt whoop' that it was. He'd lost, training or no. 

Bardock shook his head. He looked at Seripa who was now watching the boy with an unwitting smile, if she, a female could be a guard, like the few handful there were, what possible excuse did his son have. He was an outright embarrassment. 

He'd grown up with this woman, fought along side her and knew her to be one that could carry out her job with as much stamina as a male guard and then she had to go witness the existence of his wayward son. Suddenly feeling Bardock's gaze the grin died quickly "Well, yes of course, I see what you mean…but like I said I think I have a way." 

Bardock's brow rose. 

"Get him a slave." She announced. 

His face dropped "What good will _that _do!?" Bardock snapped "he is even against _owning_ one, remember what happened with one of the slaves we currently own. He's left me one short!" 

"You know as well as I do that you can't be sure _he_ let the slave escape." She said in an almost hushed voice. "_Yes_ _I_ _can_, they were friends…_friends_…with a slave…a human no less. He _must_ have given her that chance; he knew what would happen, especially after doing something as fool as to get herself with child. He may act like it but he is not stupid…fully" 

"Just be quiet awhile and hear me out will you." She said sharply brows drawing together "Getting him one of his own—" 

"Will end up with another slave on the loose." He cut in. She glared at him and he gave a slight grunt as if to say whatever she said he was ultimately right but she could continue anyway. "Having someone jump to your every word is a very attractive thing, he'll soon be ordering her round the place and once he's got a taste for that he'll crave more and soon it will become almost second nature to command such from other's. He'll be acting like you in no time." She said teasingly "…control, fear and respect can be pretty tempting things." She added at his sceptical gaze.. 

"She?" he pointed out "You mean you've already got a slave?". She nodded. 

"Good luck." Bardock said right after mumbling under his breath "this will never work." He had tried everything to make that boy see sense but he had failed. She would too. 

She merely grinned her gaze becoming welcoming as Goku having spotted her came over a familiar goofy smile adorning his features joyfully. His greeting was shyly given even as she glanced out of the corner of his eye at the man furiously scraping his weapon against the wet stone. If Seripa didn't know better she would swear he was longing to use the now unbelievably sharpened thing on one happily laughing son of his. She rose steering the boy away from the path of danger for he was in other things oblivious too. 

"Are we talking about food" he asked his tone low and conspiratorial upon being informed of a surprise. "No" she said almost laughing at his love for food, which was a constant and given thing. 

"Then what?" he asked wondering briefly what could be more of a surprise than that as he followed her into the house and they came to a stop "Her." She said with a brief gesture to the standing girl. 

The '_her_' in question fixed them with eyes that were red and puffy, hands fidgeting nervously, she was highly strung like she wanted direly to flee. She looked on the verge of adding more tears to the ones already dried to her cheeks. Dark waist length hair sat almost madly on a delicate head, over all she looked terrible and that did not include the crumpled look of fear and apprehension on her face. Overall she looked like she had been dragged through a hedge backward.She stepped back unconsciously, coming up unwittingly against the man standing behind her. 

"What—" Goku began confusion etched into his handsome features, warm dark eyes holding totally innocent befuddlement. "Oh don't worry Kakkarot" Seripa began grinning widely mistaking the direction of his confusion, as she glanced briefly at the girl and slapped his back heartily and, being the woman of strength she was, unintentionally hard "It doesn't always look like that." 

****** 

He stood by the window looking out on the bustling scene his mind far away for a tiny while. The thing occupying his mind were blue eyes, cold and distant yet burning with a barely surprised fire. 

Funny. 

The same person that had carried sacks like they were nothing. He supposed he should have guessed he would be strong. He wasn't exactly familiar with this race of people but he did know they weren't very strong but he must have been extremely strong to have taken on a guard and not just one and nearly beat them to a pulp albeit one was drunk senseless. A voice now intruded on his thoughts. 

"I'm sorry sir but there's nothing I can do." The rather stoutly built Saiyan said with a helpless shrug. "He's already been bought. I would relinquish the sale but its a senior officer, you _know_ I can't cancel it, if he was a lower ranking officer I would do it without a second glance. You're my friend, you know I would." 

His worst fears had already been confirmed. He'd already been bought. He'd had a suspicion that that would happen but not so quickly. He'd known he might be bought, he'd just hoped that it wouldn't be so soon. He suspected such a quick sale was more to do with the fact that he was stronger than the normal human. He posed a lot of questions just as he stoked curiosity. That left him open to a great deal of danger. Not many had seen what happened but rumours _would_ fly. 

"Who." He asked. The man shook his head moving over to his table and closing the open book that lay on top of it as Zahi moved towards it. "You know I can't tell you that either." He said almost pleadingly. 

"You won't be _telling_ me." Zahi said practically yanking the book the man was trying to salvage from him. He flicked through the pages ignoring the hovering uneasy figure of the man behind him pudgy fingers clenching and unclenching at his robes where it came together over his ample stomach, a stomach that told of a life of an over-indulgence in life's many delights. 

"I could get into a lot of trouble for this." He muttered but he was ignored. He watched the man flicking through the book the look on his face one of deadly concentration. 

It was strange, in all the time he'd known his reddish black haired friend he had never seen him show any interest in buying slaves. Why he was now was a question in its self. 

Zahi presently turned to look at him his gaze wide. "You didn't…" now he knew for a fact that the boy was in a whole lot of trouble already. 

"What was I supposed to do? Say no? What possible reason could I have to say no? you don't say no to _him_. Well, maybe you can, you grew up with the man. There was no one else putting in an offer and he practically cornered me and informed me of his decision. He didn't even ask…he just _told _me and I did it." 

"But you know what he's like." Zahi practically snapped. 

The man shrugged " I don't know Zahi, I don't pry into the lives of every buyer to see if they are suitable owners, all I do is sign the papers, these are slaves. We are not looking for '_lovely_ _homes' _for these people. He's bought the boy and that is that." He said snatching the book back from his friend. 

He turned to the man now hurryingly packing away all other documents Zahi might feel an inclination to pry into preferably before he decided to. "Why don't you go take it up with him." He said almost sulkily. 

"You know, you're right…" 

"Zahi wait!" 

He stopped almost halfway out of the doorway. He looked impatient. "Yes?" 

"Can I ask why this sudden interest in this particular slave." 

"I don't know…but _any _slave is better off being as far away from 'that man' as possible." 

He looked puzzled as Zahi left. "If I'd known the boy would be that popular I would have asked for twice the amount I did…more commission for me…too late now." He mumbled as much to himself as to the now empty room. 

***************************** 

She looked up sharply as the door was opened. A red haired man entered…or should she say boy. She marked him at all of nineteen. Shoulder length locks reminiscent of the length of her brother's hair only all of four inches or so longer and not parted instead allowed to fall in its own way. He wasn't sturdily built, not like some of the other slaves she'd seen after having been bundled here. Instead he was rather a little on the small side So far all she'd seen were male slaves though she had seen one female but briefly. 

He stared at her awhile as if accessing. Of course to him she was just a blue-eyed boy with a mop of presently ruffled blonde hair staring back at him quite rudely challenging him to say something. Whatever it was that he seemed to want to say that was now hanging so heavily in the air. 

He did. 

"It won't last so don't get comfortable." He said waspishly as he placed the plate he'd brought with him on the nearby table and left locking the door behind him. If he knew that the door wouldn't hold her in would he still dared to have said what he did to her and in such a tone as well. 

Had that been…jealousy? Hatred? 

What reason did he have to feel any of that? If anyone should be angry here it should be her considering she had just been brought here and dumped in this room. She stared at the plate of food he'd brought in with him awhile, before reaching for it. She debated for a while if the thing was laced with poison, which wouldn't surprise her in the least with the look he'd given her but then again it would be pretty ineffective wouldn't it. 

Besides it looked better than the swill of the past few days and she had to admit she was hungry. 

As she ate she looked round the room, hugging her knees to her chest an almost thoughtful expression on her face, she couldn't shake the dreadful feeling that things were just beginning to saunter down a one way street of which things could only get more problematic. 

  
  


_Next chapter; four_

Giving up recent acquisitions, plans redone   
The past of a blue haired girl, the present is no fun,   
Loves come a visiting but cupid's first touch is soft.   


My reviewers!…special, _special_ section for you. Whether you hate the story or like it and for those of you who just pop in and pop out thanks for even popping in at all. (lots of pop's huh?) Special song for you? "You are, you are, my reason" (Atomic Kitten) I know you can't hear me sing it but just imagine it. Oh and just the chorus cause, I don't know all the rest of the words.   
**Leia** your reviews make me majorly happy and want to continue, consider that extinguisher relegated to the abyss. You're just too good for my ego and a vital reason for the continuance of this fic. Thank you for your time. **Chris**…haven't seen you round much but thank you all the same. Your opinion was also crucial to my continuance. C u round sometime & thx. **Juuhachigou** **Sedai**…your points were well noted (can you tell? ^__^), lovely review. **Chaz and Lily**! Mine friends, so very excited abut the story and constantly asking me when I was going to write the next piece. Your desires have been fulfilled. I'm glad you notice my use of lyrics and stuff Chaz.**Kei,** thank you too. **Bob, **your interest in the story was a very nice thing for you to state. (*big smile*) **Deadly Beauty**...thank you too especially since you think it _cool_. And 'I' whoever you are thank you for your encouragement. I really appreciated it. (Really...I almost gave up on it.) ^___^. Take care of yourselves now & c u in part four, which should be out soonest…it's being edited…to be on the _safe_ side give me till Sunday. It might be ready before then but lets take in unforeseen circumstances eh…I apologize for any spelling mistakes you may have encountered...I did try to get them all. Sorry. 


	5. A girl?

**Chapter four; A girl? **

**Diary entry**; _A female? He is a female or should it rightly be she is a female. I feel quite happy and amused and yet I feel highly stupid that I didn't figure it out sooner. Just when I had been feeling guilty over the fact that I felt things I shouldn't. It couldn't ever be. Could it have? It would have been wrong. Or is it more rather that it is the person she is –that he was, was that what had fascinated me. If it is then fascination…shouldn't it be over by now? I've never seen a person like her before. Starkly different from me, or much of anyone else I've met._

______________________  
Don't surrender  
Cause you can win  
______________________ 

Juuhachi rose as the man entered. She didn't know him and she wasn't sure she'd seen him before but that wasn't the first thing that struck her. 

It was his smile.

Not only did it look like a very practiced one, being too perfect to be real, it was the underlying duplicity to it that she seemed to pick up on almost immediately. He wanted something even as it masked some sort of satisfaction. It just wasn't right somehow. It wasn't a 'oh hello' kind of smile. The second thing that stuck her was that she had seen him or rather sensed him before. When she'd thought it was some kind of trick...only it hadn't been because _he_ had been the one there watching.

She found dark eyes holding her deliberately empty ones. "So you're awake." Came the smooth voice. "Why was I brought here and who are you?" She said finally voicing the questions running rampant in her mind since she'd been brought here the most important being why she was here in the first place. He didn't say anything as he settled down onto the bed ridding himself of his shoes with such a languid air that he was actually managing now to push both her anger and her wariness. Didn't he know how much of a threat she was? Why she could blast him to oblivion right now.

"Why have I been brought here?" She asked again and more firmly and with a slow deliberateness almost stressing every word. He grinned suddenly rising and approaching her an almost calculating glint to his gaze. "Now is that anyway to talk to the man who just saved you from a very humiliating beating." 

"Beating?" she said as much in soft surprise as indignant ridicule. __

"You didn't think your little showdown would have gone unpunished did you? Right about this time you would have had smarting welts right down your back…" he stopped her before Juuhachi could utter a word "and don't think it wouldn't have hurt because you're a strong one because it would have…believe me, all it would take is a minor alteration and a world of pain awaits." 

She looked slightly confused at how that could be but she didn't say anything watching him guardedly now more than ever. Was that...? His _tone_...for a moment it had held faint pleasure...it was almost as if he enjoyed causing this 'world of pain'. He didn't seem to be lying...and why should he? "Don't worry, hopefully if you're a quick learner you won't have to ever experience that." He said his hand suddenly stroking her cheek. 

"What are you doing?!" she snapped yanking away from his touch. A sudden frown formed on his face instantaneously and he growled angrily his hand suddenly grapping hold of her jaw in a vice like grip jerking her head back to look at him, it's former position before she'd moved from his touch. She almost winced at the tight hold.

"Don't you _ever_, _EVER_, question me!! I own you, I ask the questions, the quicker you learn that the less trips you will make down to the chambers…I hear the people down there don't care about not giving their victims a quick death…neither do they care about anything honorable…they just live to hear screams of pain and they know how to exact it. Do you _ understand_ all that?" It wasn't his strength that caused the faint flutter of fear, it was that almost mad look in his eyes, the almost crazy fire…he was telling the truth, that much she knew…she'd heard about the 'chambers' as he put it and the 'stockades' as known to the slaves but she'd never actually been there. She'd heard it first from Bisman when he'd been prattling on about the things that he had seen. 

_'…they's aint never the same again…Bisman knows.' _

She stared at him wondering where that sudden irrational anger had come from. She suddenly realised what it was that had set her on edge about his smile earlier. This man was unstable. For all his good looks he had an underlying temperament that could be lost very easily and she more than suspected he was sadistic just as well as he reveled in bending people to his will in whatever form it took to do so. 

She didn't say anything. 

"Good, now we've got over the intricacies of this new relationship lets see just how much you've taken in." He said smiling a little. He reached forward yanking a pair of glasses out of her pocket and breaking them. "You won't need these anymore." He said simply. Apparently satisfied with her lack of objection he nodded slightly before speaking again as his vice like grip left her face. "Strip." 

Juuhachi blinked questioningly and then fixed him with an incredulous gaze and then the full import of what he wanted from her hit her, suddenly the look the red haired slave had given earlier made some sense…that tone of voice…it _had _been jealousy. 

_Oh no…no, no, absolutely not._

it defeated the whole purpose of the whole disguise in the first place…it also meant game over. 

Everyone was entitled to a moment of irrationality at least once in their life time…her moment of irrationality was now as she flew for the door with a disgusted sound and promptly fled through it the thought of where exactly she was going when there was nowhere to go to, only occurring to her a few seconds later. She was promptly caught and carted back into the room by two of his guards no doubt used to this with the swiftness in which they caught her. It wasn't that they were stronger than her. It was the pressing insistence of 'that' accursed weapon in her back. Then she came to the conclusion that either way they did this her game was going to be blown for sure. _ Unconscious or awake_. She'd rather be awake. To at least be able to see the look on his face especially after what he said next. 

"You're making me angry." He said simply as if in amusement at the antics of a small child "You still don't seem to understand at all…If I want I can have it beaten into you instead…it's a harder way to learn but effective all the same." He towered over her menacingly eyes glinting with something almost inhuman..."I get everything I want. No one says no to me!" He said.

She then realised she must have spoken out loud earlier without realising it. She saw the brief gesture he gave and then the warning jolt that ran through her. Not enough to stun but enough to remind her of it's existence. She was angry when she retorted "Well this is the one time you won't.", loving the outraged look that crossed his face...then he smiled almost baselessly the look disappearing suddenly as he regained control, "How sure are you of that." He queried calmly...much too calmly. 

"Very sure." She threw back as his eyes seemed to pop out of his head at her very audacity but before he could say anything else she spoke again taking almost too great a joy in revealing what she said next. "Because I am not a man." She spat it at him rather like it were an insult. She almost laughed at the look of incredulity that crossed his face at this and the fact that she had even managed to surprise the two currently holding her. She knew suddenly that there would be hell to pay for this little revelation even as she saw his gaze darken ominously. Then about to say something, 'it can't be' she presumed, he stopped instead his hands closing over her shirt, ripping both her shirt and the t-shirt underneath at the same time and almost without no effort at all. The bandages wrapped tightly across her chest were more proof than her words were and if it was possible he got even angrier. She smiled as she continued to stare at him defiantly. 

He slapped her. 

Hard. 

So hard her face was flung to the side. If she'd been human the force of it would have snapped her neck killing her instantly. Her satisfaction, she more than suspected, wouldn't last very long as she felt him grab a fistful of hair and yank her after him the other men still holding her arms the weapon ever ready. She emitted a sound of intermingled pain and anger. Anger at being pulled along like this and pain at the punishing hold on delicate strands of blonde. 

************************* 

"Juuhachi?" came the tentative voice. "Are you okay?" 

The girl named Juuhachi didn't answer but did hold out her hand in a staying motion when the blue haired girl attempted to come closer. Bulma retreated a few paces still watching the blonde haired bo—_girl, _girl. She still hadn't gotten used to it. Till now she'd always thought she had been looking at a boy, right up till the time she had been given this backbreaking task…What were the chances of that. She thought briefly about what had got her doing this job in the first place. 

She supposed she had been angry…blinded to have just reacted like some mad woman, jumping the very next guard that had opened the door venting all her anger and all her despair on him. She hadn't done him much harm except for a few cuts but she'd been dumped here anyway. Now she wished she had been able to get in a few more good kicks preferably ones that would have hurt _ then_ it would have been worth it. 

She looked round at the huge expanse of floors they been given to wash till the guard could unreasonably see his face shining back at him like some sort of mirror. Not only were the floors, huge and seemingly stretched forever, in constant use _and _included some passages too, there was no way they could be cleaned to the degree the guard wanted. Especially not when every place she cleaned got trampled just a few minutes later.

But even this backbreaking work that involved constantly getting up and down, bending and crawling on the knees it couldn't beat the surprise of all surprises the blonde haired girl scrubbing not far from where she was stopping every now and again either to brush a hand over her hair or slowly find a more comfortable position wincing almost every time, immensely light blue eyes holding a smoldering low festering anger. She looked different somewhat but Bulma had instantly known who it was. 

Thing was that Juuhachi hadn't spoken since she'd arrived, Bulma had prattled on attempting to get her to open up and at least talk. "Amazing." Bulma said giving a brief laugh trying to get her attention again an succeeding as Juuhachi fixed her with an only mildly disinterested gaze. She continued, "after Chi-Chi was taken…I thought I wouldn't have anyone else to talk to." Her voice fell suddenly as she regretted saying that. "I miss her, I'm scared something really bad has happened to her." 

"She's fine." Came the low voice with such assuredness that Bulma looked at her "How do you know that?" she breathed as if asking god himself this question. Juuhachi just shrugged but said nothing. It was better than dwelling on the alternative. She took a deep breath as she shifted position again inwardly cursing, inwardly humiliated beyond belief. She stared at the ground not actually seeing it her movements more mechanical than conscious. 

He'd been so right. It _had_ hurt…the most humiliating bit being that she had been unable to break free because he had been right in that too. They'd had almost everything at their disposal. Things that drained the very strength out of her making her weak and unable to break free and not so strangely she hadn't been the only one there, there had been others. What had unnerved her most was the fact of how lab like the place had been everything specifically made for pain. Her hand tightened on the brush she was using almost snapping the thing. 

_Oh, he would pay for this. _

For being trussed up and tortured like some piece of meat. She wouldn't forget it. It was hard to. She felt like she'd been dropped from the highest mountain, been flung over a thousand and one bumps, dragged through a nettle bush and then soaked in salt water and then put through the whole experience again. He had even been there to personally oversee things taking immense pleasure in it. To make matters worse not only had she been left in a dark cell, chained in the most uncomfortable position which only served to aggravate her already aching body, still unable to break free, over night but at the crack of dawn she'd been dragged out and put to work with every part of her body crying out in protest with every move. Now she was stuck with this floor. It would take forever not to talk of the amount of stretching and turning and moving it asked of her aching raw self. She would kill that man most especially if it were the last thing she did. 

_ That was a promise. _

_**********************_

"…hear me Juuhachi?" 

She looked up. Bulma repeated the last bit she'd said feeling it unnecessary to go through the whole thing again "I said I really hope you're right because I don't want to loose her like I lost my parents...and everything else." She gave a brief bitter laugh "I would have been married by now. I just had three months to go…" she paused awhile before continuing "I don't even know where he is now. Ever notice how just when you're at your happiest something has to come along and ruin it." 

She suddenly looked at Juuhachi questioningly. Her only acknowledgement was a small lopsided smile. "Did you have a boyfriend, parents?" Bulma suddenly asked in almost the same light as one would at a girls night in over hot cocoa and fuzzy teddies with the most ludicrous of frilly nightgowns. Juuhachi shook her head slightly. 

Bulma looked sad awhile. "I'm _so_ sorry...it must have been awful." She said. Juuhachi didn't say a thing at Bulma's assumption that her parents had somehow been killed by the inhabitants of this planet. They may have, they may have not…she didn't know since she couldn't even remember them or even if she had any. "My dad disappeared just a week before I was caught. Maybe he got taken too, maybe he's…" she didn't complete that but continued as if that inkling of doubt had never been "Mom was distraught. Some thought he'd been kidnapped being Dr Briefs and all." 

"Briefs?" Juuhachi suddenly whispered. 

"Yeah." She said smiling brightly, pride sparkling in her eyes. " Did you know him? everyone seems to, he was a really popular scientist." 

"No. Just sounded familiar." Juuhachi replied seeing in her minds eye Gero hunched over his work muttering his usual string of revenge filled statements and promising it most to a purple haired man called 'Dr Briefs'. It had even been part of her programming to 'deal with him accordingly'. She knew the man like she had lived with him and yet she hadn't. She probably knew more than the daughter did thanks to Dr Gero's attention to every little detail.

They both suddenly looked up as someone approached softly calling out one name with almost questioning disbelief. 

"Krillin?" Juuhachi said letting slip a tone of surprise. She had been wondering what his reaction would be, she just hadn't expected to have to deal with it so soon...or was that just wistful thinking. Really what do you say to someone who till recently thought you were something else entirely. "Yeah." That sweetly embarrassed voice even as he blushed. 

"I was worried…and I tried to look for you...then Bisman said he'd seen you, but I didn't believe him when he said...I um...guess it true." He said feeling it better not to tell of the fact that a lot of the other slaves knew too thanks to Bisman who couldn't wait to inform anyone who asked much to Oswald's disparagement, sure he'd been surprised too but unlike Bisman he hadn't deemed it fit to laugh. Bisman had had no such qualms. 

His present awkwardness and still faint disbelief was painfully plain and had arose with hi—her now because she was different. No doubt about it. She didn't _ look_ or act any different than before but she just _was, because she hadn't or rather wasn't what she had been before...if that made sense._ Wisps of blonde hair still fell across her face and ticked the base of her jaw and even the big difference of her now being in a dress and having legs he'd never seen before didn't change her _ that_ much. Still normally with women…he was just different round them…he just was. Now he'd found out she wasn't the guy he'd grown friendly with and said lord knew what to, he'd been trying to remember just how many stupid things he might have said round her in their previous conversations even if the conversation had been more or less one and a half sided. 

"Hi" he said his attention turning to the blue haired girl studying them quietly during the awkward silence in which he coloured and Juuhachi just watched him squirm. 

She smiled. "Bulma." She provided before he could use her to fill the awkward silence, granted he was only being polite but now she'd took care of that for him "and you are Krillin." He nodded now looking at a loss since 'Bulma' had just done everything and had turned back to her work pointedly preferring to stay on the sidelines to witness this. 

"You shouldn't be here." Juuhachi said tonelessly. 

"I—well I was coming by here anyway…" he said trailing off then after awhile he continued, "I was…worried about you. After...you know" 

"I'm fine." 

"I always thought you were hiding things." He blurted thinking out loud and giving a laugh that was a cross between discomfort and sheepishness. That wasn't meant to have been said. She froze but he didn't see it. He was too busy berating himself. Bulma however, did and found herself wondering how much more this girl was keeping hidden. "What do you mean?" She asked quickly. 

"Well," he looked taken aback not expecting to have been so stupid as to speak his thoughts aloud least of all be made to answer them. He hadn't ever told anyone that he wasn't exactly normal as far as 'normal' went or about his abilities so how did he explain to her that he sensed nothing from her without explaining how he could do this. "I guess…erm…you— you were just different and quiet" he shrugged helplessly "alone...?" He finished lamely. Her gaze seemed to burn right into him as if mentally raging _through_ him to find the truth and tear it out of him. 

"Krillin I think you should go now…" Bulma whispered suddenly breaking in with an urgency to her tone "Some guards are heading this way." 

Krillin nodded quickly breathing a sigh of relief at the interruption and chance to leave before he said anything else amazingly _un_-thought. "I'll see you guys later." He promised leaving quickly. Bulma looked over at Juuhachi who stole a glance in the direction he had left in a slight furrow worrying her forehead revealing an inner battle of thoughts. She wondered what she was thinking and what more there was to know about her. 

*************************** 

"But—"Nappa began as he hurried after a briskly walking Vegeta. The shorter man had a frown that could change the weather on his face "Nappa, You are ultimately _useless_." 

"Yes." The muscular looking bald said agreeing totally. If he wasn't then he would have known not to get involved in the beginning. He should have just stuck to his job and remained silent and stupid looking. It was less trouble that way. He silently cursed himself for being so foolish to have said anything at all. Now he was suffering the Prince's anger because he needed someone to lash out at after having failed another one of the numerous arguments that went on between father and son. 

What was he supposed to have done?…Well one thing…to have silently made good an escape and he'd been ready to have done that too but being his huge self he could hardly skulk out of a room without being seen, he'd be like a neon-flashing boulder if such existed, one would have more luck sneaking a unicorn past. Then had come '_the_ _question_'…who was right…an unfortunate position to be in since he'd felt both of them had valid arguments, as they always did but still neither would be satisfied unless one was ultimately right, and he had tried to say as much amidst the glares from a younger and older version of the one to whom he held allegiance. 

He hadn't quite been able to communicate such though. It had sounded much better in his head. Then he'd opened his mouth and with a whole bunch of bungled words he'd lassoed himself a raging bull with a headache. He agreed with more strings of what he was and wasn't, from what he lacked to what he didn't have an iota of as he hurried on after the striding man.

Bulma looked up at the approaching duo so caught up in their argumentative conversation that they didn't see her but her gaze rested awhile on the man with the dark upswept hair mumbling a little '_damn_' under her voice as she watched that perfect spandex clad body walk up. Still perfect even if his features were as dark as a thundercloud. She forgot for a moment to make way and did so at the last moment mumbling a quick, soft "sorry" as he passed still laying into his companion. She briefly wondered a minute as she watched him and then recognition came as suddenly as if she'd been drenched in a bucket of ice cold water. 

The prince of this blasted place. That was were she had seen him. 

An angry look crossed her face suddenly, gone was the admiration for his appearance. "Arrogant so and so." She muttered as she looked at the footprints he'd made on the floor she'd just cleaned having hoped that another clean passage meant she could go rejoin Juuhachi and finish the last one. If she hadn't moved he would have probably walked over her and still not noticed. She wiped it away finding a whole lot of what he was and finding a tune to go with it as she hummed sitting back to admire the now clean floor. 

Something just occurred to Vegeta then and he stopped "who was that?" 

His bodyguard looked confused almost worried that not providing the right answer for this would prove almost fatal too. "Who-?" 

Vegeta momentarily pondered over the voice he'd heard, the soft gentle sound, and suddenly retraced his steps, a very confused Nappa trudging after him but when he got to the place he'd heard it, there was no one there anymore. The woman who'd been cleaning the floor had gone. 

******************* 

Phebes reached for his drink letting go a sigh as he reclined in his seat. He looked down at the slave sat massaging his feet. He looked down at him. He had been the easiest to handle, giving him no problems whatsoever, he would actually say he actually liked him above all others. His fall of reddish hair was presently covering his face as he worked. What made him more of a favourite was that he was unquestionably loyal. If he didn't know better he would say the boy actually loved him so eager was he to please. His hand languidly brushed the fall of hair almost thoughtful as he remembered what he thought he'd had. He'd thought he'd found the very essence of his fantasies, strength without the bulky muscles to go with it, boyish good looks and stubborn. Breaking him would have been a challenge, in his strength he wouldn't have had to fear damaging him and presentable enough to have caused much envy and yet have him unquestioningly loyal to him alone....and then it had turned out to be a woman. 

But for all that he felt better after taking out his frustration and anger on her, now he had a clear mind to think and she could still be useful yet. Plans had been taking form since. He was snapped back into reality when he felt warm lips turn into his palm. The hazel gaze that held his held worry...and need. Worry that he seemed so far away and need, a burning question that hadn't been fulfilled since he'd partially had his fantasy realised only for it to be dashed. All of two days ago. Phebes shook his head lightly and the slave's gaze fell as he returned to his ministrations. 

"Why?" came his low voice, so low it was almost indistinguishable, almost afraid to even voice the question. 

"Because I am not in the mood and you would do well not to question me." he said not as sharply as he would've more surprised at the fact that he had dared to question him when he never had before. There was silence awhile but then he spoke yet again even lower than before sounding almost heartbroken. "but I need you." His massaging hands had suddenly become a miserably yearning caress. 

"Are you presuming to tell me what I should and should not do?" Phebes asked dangerous fire burning in his eyes. The slave looked mortified knowing what happened in times of anger. People could loose things. "no, no…I'm sorry, I won't speak of it again." He stated hurriedly proceeding to calm him down by continuing the venerating massage. He looked up at the touch on his head looking into dark eyes that could be both cruel and merciless and calm and deceptively friendly. "Come to me tonight." Was the simple phrase said but it brought a huge smile to the boy's lips as he nodded, not in agreement because with his master there was no 'agreeing' it was a demand that must be fulfilled. They both looked up however as there was a commotion and someone entered. 

"Zahi." Phebes said so warmly it seemed feigned. 

"Phebes." Zahi said in much the same tone only his was wary. He eyed him suspiciously as Phebes waved him to take a seat which he did. "Want something to drink?" 

Zahi shook his head but before he could say anything Phebes spoke his dark eyes very unnerving. Zahi may have grown up with this man but they'd grown apart somewhat during their teens. He'd been able to tell what he was thinking from one minute to the next. But not anymore. Phebes had just changed too much, but it hadn't stopped him relying on their friendship to his own benefit. 

"What brings you here then?" he asked a brief gesture dismissing the slave at his feet. 

"The slave…the boy. The one you bought and before you say which one you know exactly who I am talking about." 

"Ah, my recent acquisition...the girl?" Phebes asked deliberately 

"Ye—g—_girl_?!" Zahi spluttered in confusion and then after his minute confusion his gaze widened imperceptibly as he asked "Where is she?" he asked wondering just what had happened while he had been stuck with so much butt end jobs to do when all he'd wanted was to come over as soon as he could. Now he was hearing 'he' was a 'she'. He was sure Phebes was lying…girl? but why would he lie? 

"Where she ought to be." Phebes replied. Zahi noted the slight sharpness of that tone and it didn't instill him with the utmost confidence. His present surprise, that was still taking time to wear off it it even could, was more due to the fact that that sack toting, fiery eyed, stubbornly obstinate boy had been a _girl_. It was a revelation in itself but it still didn't change his decision and he briefly wondered why it didn't. "I want you to give hi—her up." 

"and I will do this because you'll do what for me?" Phebes said fixing his friend with an amused gaze. Zahi looked thoughtful a moment. "Because you owe me and I am cashing in now." A dangerous frown touched Phebes' brow. "What?" 

After years of saving his ungrateful hide, after all the years of hiding in the background and allowing his so called best friend to take all the glory that he'd worked hard to gain, he thought this the least he could ask of him and have it done no questions asked. "You owe me." he repeated. 

"I owe you nothing Zahi." He fumed, then suddenly curious he asked "Why your interest in her anyway, you've seen she isn't a boy, why are you still here?" 

"I know what you tend to do with people Phebes." Zahi said. 

"How is that a bad thing? My slaves are 110% loyal and they know what happens if they aren't." 

"More out of fear than anything…Ever actually tried having them respect you too? Maybe then they wouldn't be so willing to knife you in the back once you're down because they will you know." 

"What exactly do you want Zahi." Phebes said in a laboriously bored voice. "because this is becoming tiring. Besides I have plans for her." 

Which was exactly what Zahi was worried about. One of his dangerously stupid plans _again. _Now he had two good reasons to get this girl away from him. One to save the girl herself, two to stop his friend from making another stupid plan that could backfire again. He'd promised never to mention this but knowing Phebes he knew this would be the only way to get him to agree. "Remember a certain event of some time ago that I let you take credit for to save yourself and you got promoted too…imagine what would happen now if I told someone exactly what happened that day. You'd be stripped of rank wouldn't you." Phebes gaze narrowed as Zahi continued "not to mention the amount of trouble that would arise. You'll be swamped with people just waiting to rip their pound of flesh from you...and I just might feel tempted to blurt out everything if you don't fulfill your _ numerous_ promises…from your own lips Phebes 'I owe you my life', remember?" 

Phebes was practically breathing up a storm eyes flashing dangerously then just as suddenly he laughed. So much so Zahi found himself feeling uneasy. People didn't just go from emotion to emotion as fast and as duplicitously as Phebes seemed to be able to. "You've learnt _something _from me." He finally said his laughter having died away. "Blackmail…crude, low down and yet effective. I never thought you had it in you. I tell you what…" he leaned forward in his chair clasping his hands together "I know exactly what you want, you're intrigued by her…what normal hot blooded male wouldn't right?…I'll let you have her for one whole day…how about that, should be enough time for you right?" he brushed aside Zahi's protest before he could voice them "Oh come on, there is no need to hide these things." 

"Phebes that is not what I mean." 

"Sure." He said as Zahi looked indignant "Two days but that's all" 

"Give her up entirely." 

"I can't do that." Phebes said with the utmost certainty, such that Zahi almost gave up immediately. "Why not?" 

"I told the prince about her…I intend to give her to him—" 

Zahi almost lost his temper, he was sure this had something to do with this 'plan' of his. He just knew it. "You know, I thought you would have learnt your lesson after the other time you tried to gain favour." 

"Oh shut up! I don't need you preaching to me." Phebes snapped angrily. 

"Considering I was the one that took the blame last time I think I have every right to preach. You got yourself into this mess, you get yourself out. I want her and I will not take no for an answer." 

"You know very well I cannot go back on my word unless the prince actually rejects her and don't pretend you don't." Phebes said scowling. 

"I'm not. All the same I will not change my mind." 

"But—" 

"Has he even said anything about her yet?" Zahi pressed. Phebes glared at him. "No." 

"Then…" Zahi prompted. Phebes rose and so did Zahi. They stared at each other one more stubborn and obstinate on this issue than the other. One not as strong in strength of will but knowing he held the trump cards. Phebes sighed "fine…you can have her. Stupid bitch is a pain in the rear anyway have fun. There is however one condition. If the prince does ask after her you know you must return her to me…you know what will happen if I go back on a promise to him. You won't let _ that_ happen, no, You forget you're so predictable it hurts." 

"Today." Zahi said ignoring the insult for that was what it was. The same insult that he'd given over the years, every time he had been there to take the blame it was 'you are so predictable' predictable in the fact that he could not and would not stand back and not help his friend. It was an inbuilt thing. As Phebes put it, he couldn't help being disgustingly weak hearted. Funny he should say so when it was precisely that that had saved him time and time again. "Fine…just remember, I will take her—" 

"_If_ and _ when_ he asks Phebes and not before and don't try and remind him either or influence his decision or I will go through with my threat and don't think I won't do it." 

Phebes agreed grudgingly and Zahi knew he felt like beating him up right now even as he looked at him with strange amusement. "Well, you begin to surprise me." Phebes said thinking as Zahi left looking behind him a bit as if somehow Phebes would stab him in his retreating back. What he wanted to know was what had suddenly caused that change. He'd always been able to manipulate the man before, why not now. Well, it seemed there would be a slight reshuffling of plans and despite what Zahi thought it _ would_ work. 

************************ 

Juuhachi opened her eyes suddenly as she heard people moving up and down unusual for the night time. that had woken her up but now there was something else she realised. There was something missing. Something she couldn't voice yet but it was missing. She was still awhile, listening, waiting...sensing... 

Then she realised what it was that was missing all of a sudden. 

_Krillin._

She would willingly admit that she had got used to tuning into him. He intrigued her somewhat and she would rather say that than the fact that she'd got used to having him around and had become somewhat close to him albeit when she was posing as a guy. 

Now it was gone. Not gone entirely...it just wasn't as strong as it was before. Almost as if he weren't here any more as if somehow he'd changed positions to somewhere 'not' on palace grounds. She was more than just that side of worried. 

Author's note** 

*Shyly and with funny nasal tone* Hi…I decided not to say anything else at the beginning because you've all had enough of my mouth right? *grins* thought as much. Erm…I am sooooo sorry I didn't have this up yesterday (sunday) I wasn't well, I have this dang cold, my nose feels like it's gonna drop off any moment. Yes I feel miserable...tell you what, you can be angry with me if you want (I totally deserve it) I just didn't think that when I said 'unforeseen circumstances' I would jinx myself just days after…*slinks off back to bed listlessly* Don't worry...the diary entries end around chapters five or six because- *sneezes* ...then we will know already who it is. You'll see what I mean. *falls asleep leaving Lexi to finish. Lexi grins and waves wildly mouthing a 'hi' before clearing her throat and reading.* 

"**chapter** **five**; 

Brushes with Royalty leave you cold and excited?  
Things sometimes needn't an explanation  
They just need to be…to turn out right. 

P.S don't forget to review and more surprises to come..." 

*looks confused and shrugs waving again* 'bye guys'


	6. Interludes:: lost, found, introductions?

**Author's notes**; 

Aymei turned from the cooker feeling two paws settle on her thigh. She placed the spoon on the table and bent to hug Jasper tightly the brightest smile illuminating her face as she buried it in a bed of black and white fur. "Hi Jasper." She murmured her laughter filling the kitchen as her ear got promptly bathed. 

"You _do_ know he is only after the chicken." Lexi pointed out from her sudden position in the kitchen doorway making Aymei look up her first words being "bleugh! no he's not just because he loves me." but on second glance sure enough the dog was eyeing up the pieces of chicken sitting on the table. "Well, _even_ if he is at least he's making a good job of seeming like he's pleased—" Jasper moved out of the hug clearing up any doubts as to what he wanted and why he was here in the first place as he stretched up to the table looking back at Aymei with obvious questioning. Aymei sighed as she rose, arms akimbo glaring at Lexi before she good feed the 'I told you' line that was obviously coming "I'll _rephrase_ that shall I?…he _was_ making a good job of seeming like he was pleased to be with me...Fickle dog." 

**Disclaimers**; In this chapter you will still find me 'DragonballZ-less' 

**Must says**:: HI! everyone...*covers face* don't say it, Aymei has been the worst person ever! *draws absent diagrams on the ground with her toe shyly* I'm really sorry for not updating in all the times I said I would. I hate myself. *glances up surreptitiously* sorry (:D). *becomes more animated* Hmm, Tenchi, no I haven't finished...did I give that impression? (sorry) and Chris (you said I should bring em back and they are here again...*curtseys* thank you *holds up hand made card with flowers stuck all over it* made just for you ^__^ cause you say the nicest things...always very understanding and encouraging. I would that I could bottle you up and keep you...oh and...*walks over to wall and begins banging head against it all over again* still trying to come up with an idea for you. *winces* Will keep at it till I do) I'll let you all get to the story and be done right...most of you want to clear out already. Okay...shutting up now.   
  


**Interludes; lost, found, introductions?**   
  
  
  


**Diary Entry.**

_He's gone…I was actually in charge of the whole operation. It may still be a butt end job but I think I'm getting somewhere though. Funny thing though was that he didn't seem to recognize me or was it more that he couldn't see me properly in the dim light?… or maybe it was because he didn't seem to care. He did know what was going on, he did know he was being sent off with the bunch of others and he knew he might well never be coming back. It was easy to tell, he kept looking back. I knew why. _

_I think I expected him to say something. Resist even. That was common practice. It felt strange…him not saying a word…but...I was **glad** he was going, really, truly and selfishly.I realised she would miss him but I didn't care about that, not then. He was competition that's what he was, what he could be, if she didn't realise it yet I certainly could. I suppose I'm jealous which is stupid. I suppose I'm not totally irredeemable, I did feel bad, but only afterwards…and not as much as I felt I should be…_   
  


--------------------------   
In this thing called love   
When you want it the most…   
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"Oswald" 

Oswald turned but it wasn't just in response to his name. It was more due to the fact that he recognised the voice and it caused mild surprise. If anyone would be calling his name he would have expected anyone else to but not the person to whom the voice belonged to. The same person that filled his vision. 

"Juuhachi?" he said questioningly unable to keep the surprise from revealing itself in his voice as he took in the girl in front of him. His questioning was more a result of the tiny fact that she rarely spoke to him much less approach him. 

Fingers rose to brush back wayward strands that rose in the slight breeze that rushed past as he rose fully speaking with a hesitant glance round "I can't stop now" he said easily explaining why he returned to his work. She gave a curt but almost indistinguishable nod knowing very well that he couldn't. It meant asking for trouble. 

"Where's the short guy?" she asked her tone indicating she just wanted an answer to that one thing alone and she would leave him. 

"You mean Krillin." He said hiding a smile at the slight shrug that would have said 'whatever' if words had been used instead, the effect being ruined by the underlying look on her face that said she was more interested than the non committal shrug would have him think.. 

"He's gone…about three days ago." Oswald finished. He suddenly looked surprised, something suddenly dawning. He'd felt she would've known by now yet he wasn't sure what to make of the fleeting look that would have just about skipped his notice if he hadn't been looking at her in that moment thinking of what he said next. 

"…I thought you would have known by now." 

He wasn't sure whether the look had been born of having suspicions confirmed or just surprise, he couldn't quite tell. He saw the slight frown that crept over her face and knew it was more than probably a result of the way his tone had softened and he reassumed a normal intonation again "He got sold off." 

"Oh" she said almost causally as if nothing untoward had happened and it sounded painfully like an 'awkward silence filler'. She turned to leave with a mumbled good bye that he more than suspected was given without much thought. She already seemed to be thinking about other things and he felt he knew what since he'd wondered about the very same thing having watched many people he knew leave. 

"He'll be fine you know," he said reassuringly hoping for the world that his beliefs thus far were well founded...it was better than the alternative...the alternatives didn't bear being thought about because it was easier even if the phrase 'easier for who?' virtually begged to be voiced. 

She fixed him with a frown. "Did I say he wouldn't?" she asked almost waspishly. 

Bisman, having spotted them, had come hurrying over and unable to resist a chance at a jibe he interrupted before Oswald could form a reply. "What you doing here?" he leered as she took him in a look of slight annoyance touching her features at his interruption but she didn't spend much time on him as she looked away like she'd spotted something of minute importance and it seemed to touch a nerve. 

"Not a place for a _girl_ this, no" he said almost bitingly as he managed to fit in a satisfyingly goading laugh. What he wasn't expecting was for the wrong person to speak up at this. He'd been expecting blue eyed anger and not friendship's cold annoyance. 

"Bisman for once in you life just shut up!" Oswald said sharply almost in the same time space that Juuhachi gave a 'what just spoke' look that just skimmed the top of his head and left. He turned his annoyed gaze on Oswald silently blaming him for his dissatisfaction. 

"You just couldn't resist could you." Oswald spat as he laid into Bisman fully his words punctured every now and then by the sound of his digging "You could _try_ to think once in a while and _not_ say the first thing that comes into your head. How is that a hard thing to do!? If you hadn't realised the 'you're a girl' thing wore of a long time ago and in bringing it up you're just making an ignorant ass of yourself." 

"She's stupid" Bisman huffed at him as if that was his excuse and his justification, a wounded tone to his voice and just one of the many other intermingled undertones that included a dented pride. 

"Funny, I could say the same about someone I know..." 

"Who?" Bisman asked genuinely intrigued.   
  
  
  


****************************** 

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


The light glinted off the knife she held as she returned it to its place amongst the others finding the display almost mesmerizing as she picked up another and placed it alongside the other her gaze suddenly going to the window for a moment before her gaze came to rest on the fingers closed round the sink before realising she was drifting again. 

She supposed things had gotten a bit better. She'd rather not lie in those cramped cells if it wasn't necessary to but she wasn't exactly sure how she felt about having to rely on 'the enemy'. She had to admit though, even if grudgingly so, that it was an improvement. For a start there were less restrictions on her movement so she could do a lot more of the things she wanted to without a guard or two breathing down her neck deeming it their right to know every thing she did or didn't do in most cases. 

She more than suspected she was being treated much better than she would normally be and also given a lot more time on her hands than she was supposed to be having. It was obvious the man had no need for her and so she was still trying to figure out what his hidden agenda was. She couldn't very well say he was being 'kind' to her or treating her like some sort of lost puppy he'd found and given a home to and expected her to be grateful for it because he did it in ways that were hard to pinpoint. He seemingly had a reason for everything so even if she knew it and was sure of it she couldn't prove it. 

It was having so much time on her hands that was no doubt the reason for her spending more than every bit of it worrying about a certain dark haired midget. That had to be the only explanation, all in all the fact that she was concerned about someone other than herself and her brother, someone who till he'd gone hadn't seemed all that important, was strange to say the least. Sure she'd _known_ he wasn't around any more, she'd felt that even before she'd gone and asked all of four days ago. Somehow she'd wanted...strangely enough...to be proved wrong. 

Then again, a simpler explanation could simply go; she'd become too used to having him around. It would simply be a matter of growing out of the habit and hopefully a few more days would be all it would..._should_ take. There were more immediate things she should devote her time to thinking about. Like finding her brother...like getting of this wretched planet...those were all worth while things to 'worry' about instead and yet they were somehow paling in comparison. She really needed to get her prorities straight for somewhere along the line they'd got themselves muddled up. 

Blonde brows came together suddenly as she looked up her head tilting incalculably in a questioning action. She rose, only then realsising she had sat, as she discarded the cloth she'd been fiddling with and had no doubt made its way an inumerable amount of times through fidgiting fingers. She was outside before the realisation hit; it had been accomplished in double quick time. She ran a quick hand over her hair as inconspicously as possible satisfying herself that every strand was in it's rightful place. 

It wasn't...was it? 

She was sure though that it was. 

Sure enough it was. She spotted him almost instantly as if in someway to prove her right. Their eyes met silently, and he hesitated a step, no doubt from the blank seemingly impassive expression on her face. His dark searching gaze became a brief slide of emotion from surprise and faint victory to a hesitantly unsure one as he took her in as unobtrusively as possible without actually staring. 

"Hi," Krillin finally got out, dark eyes moving away from her face to absently take in nothing in particular from the environment round them before returning to her again almost hoping he might catch just that tiny change in that expression, something that would somehow tell him she'd possibly missed him just half as much as he had her. Her expression hadn't changed in the slightest. 

"I thought you were gone." She pointed out as she moved a little this time having successfully quelled the eagerness she'd unwittingly given into a few seconds ago. "Why did you return?" 

"I was—erm" He gave a nervous laugh almost mumbling together his next words. "I just came…to see if you were okay." 

"Why?" she questioned genuinely intrigued. 

"Hey…" he began feigning light heartedness wishing for the world that her questions weren't so bluntly 'direct', "I was worried. You tend to get yourself into trouble." Then deciding that didn't come out right he decided to fix it…quickly. "I mean…well,'_situations_', you know…that is what I mean is—because what I don't mean is that you're…" he trailed of into uncomfortable silence having given up deciding that no matter which way he tried to say it it wouldn't come out quite like he would mean it to. 

She continued to watch him almost disconcertingly but when it seemed he wasn't going to continue she put him out of his misery and changing the subject. "So what happened with you?" she asked knowing what had undoubtedly happened but it was as good a change of subject as any other and the look of relief was evident as he grabbed hold of it easily. 

"I got sold off, I'm surprised anyone wanted to buy me at all.." He joked...no points for why the word 'lame' kept repeating itself in his mind. He gave a nervous laugh. "It was strange...but not as bad as I'd thought it would be." he added almost thoughtfully more to cover up his embarisment even as he remembered how starkly different it had been. Not any less degrading though he'd felt but still not as bad as his over active imagination had led him to imagine. He didn't add that he'd for a moment thought she'd been sold off too when he hadn't been able to find her, till he'd seen Bulma and she'd told him where he might find her. 

"I take it you're…" She searched for a word to describe an 'it'll do' kind of life "...'satisfied'" 

"Yeah..." he said thoughtful for awhile before adding "kinda...I guess" in a tone that suggested adequacy of a kind. 

"...and you won't be coming back." She said. 

There was something. He looked up at her wondering what she meant. He wondered if it was a statement or a question. If it was a question did that mean she did miss him...somewhat? "Yeah." he said deciding it was a question but it's meaning he still wasn't sure of. "I guess." he added his voice holding a twinge of dejection and it dropped to the barest of whispers and he didn't quite accomplish the proposed 'off hand' manner he'd intended "I could try...and drop by you know…every now and then.. that is…if you want me to." 

She suddenly saw the dark haired man walking up and it was clear he was coming towards them her expression immediately took on deep seated unfriendliness and she practically glared fire laced, death promising daggers at the man but he was either oblivious or didn't care because he kept coming a smile alighting his features in the face of a look that would have withered the best of men. 

"Do what you want." 

Krillin looked up at her, at first wondering at the harsh emotionless and dismissive quality of her statement only to see her glaring over him and following her gaze explained why. Recognition was swift even as the man reached them. 

"Oh hey, this is Goku." When she didn't show any inclination towards changing her feelings for the new visitor he proceeded to clarify "He's a friend." 

That drew a change, only not the one he'd intended. Once he said the word 'friend' she fixed him with a look that stated louder than words ever could that he had just gone certifiably mad. Obviously she figured he'd gone mad in the space of a few seconds having used the word 'friend' in relation to a race that had won themselves much favours. 

"Hey," Goku said and then after just a moment of taking in that unfriendly expression his smile became wider as he glanced at Krillin and blurted, "You were right Krillin. She _is_ beautiful." 

The sound of mortification came from a Krillin that was suddenly bright enough to cook on. Her brow rose. To say she was surprised was an understatement. She was rendered speechless for the first time in as far as she could remember. in questioning surprise totally floored. She was unable to quite make head or tail of what had just been said and she didn't know who and what surprised her more. She took in first Krillin who looked like he wished the earth would open up and swallow him and then the smiling taller 'Goku' character feeling just that little bit lost for words. 

"Its really nice to finally meet you…thanks to Krillin I feel like I already know you..." Goku continued finding he'd some how gained rapt attention.   
  
  
  


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Krillin stopped awhile looking up at Goku as they walked back, the palace grounds diminishing behind them but somehow not leaving his own thoughts. He still felt that side of embarised and he felt he wouldn't ever be able to look at her again! 

"Why did you have to say it." he asked somewhat sullenly. 

Well, it it wasn't obvious beofre it was now, she must know now that he had formed the biggest and fastest crush this side of the planets and what made it even more laughable was that she had to be the furthest person out of his reach. He gave an audible groan. He really wished he'd seen it coming it would have proberbly saved him a red face and her something to laugh over. Thankfully enough he'd been able to cut the conversation short before he'd been dropped into it even further but it had been done with the lamest excuse possible and it had proberly had more holes than swiss cheese but what else was he supposed to have done. It had served its purpose at the time spending time to think of the perfect excuse would have taken too long.   


"Say what?" Goku asked puzzled, then as if lighting a match he realised what it was Krillin was on about "You mean Juuhachi right?" 

"Yes." 

"What shouldn't I have said?" he asked honestly enough visibly going back over the conversation mentally. He made a sudden observation with a curious lilt to his tone. "She doesn't speak much does she." 

Now there was a surprise that wasn't a surprise. He thought to himself. He'd been too busy wishing for the earth to swallow him whole. What had been going on in her head was another thing entirely. 

After finding himself on the road to 'god knows where' at the time he certainly hadn't thought he would find himself where he did. He hadn't really cared at that point in time because it hadn't really mattered. It may as well have been the devil himself buying him and it wouldn't have made much difference. The one thing that had filled his thoughts had been the fact that he hadn't wanted to leave in the first place and it wasn't just because he'd become used to it there either. He'd been more than surprised to encounter someone like the man walking next to him as if nothing was wrong with the world. He supposed after being round the man for a week already he should have known he might do something like that. It was him in a nutshell. Honest and straightforwardly blunt. Take him nowhere...to be on the safe side even if he really didn't mean anything by it. 

At first he'd thought there was some kind of agenda to his behaviour and he'd been determined not to trust him as far as he could throw him...which wouldn't have been very far. It was a strange thing to find a Saiyan being nice, they were either up to something horrible or had something else devious cooking. Yet he'd come to realise later that that was just how Goku was and he didn't have some dark secret plan tucked up his sleeves and becoming friends hadn't been very hard. He supposed it would be strange, he thought remembering the look she'd fixed him with when he'd reffered to Goku as his friend. He'd never actually said it out loud before and it had come with surprising ease too. 

It had been Goku who'd suggested Krillin come along with him he hadn't been able to make it as 'off hand' as he'd no doubt intended it to be but it hadn't meant he was going to refuse, he'd been miserable enough and that's what Goku must have spotted to have suggested it in the first place...oh no, the thought of seeing her was encouragement enough…the thought of being able to let her know he hadn't just left or dissappeared into thin air. In fact he'd had everything he was going to say planned out in his mind and then it had all flown out the window once he'd seen her leaving him woefully lost without a thing to say that didn't end up in him saying all the wrong things. So much for the eloquent conversation he'd envisioned. 

"Everything...Especially the begining." 

"Oh you mea-" 

"Yes." He said quickly managing this time to quell the colour that threatened to coat his cheeks again. 

"You said it yourself..." 

"I know I did. I just didn't expect her to know I said it." he said twiddling his fingers. 

Goku seemed puzzled "Why not? you meant it didn't you" 

Krillin almost sighed out loud "Yeah but--" 

"Well there you go then." he said triumphantly as if he'd just solved every problem under the sun. 

_But that's beside the point..._He felt he should protest as much but he figured it wouldn't accomplish anything and besides, he felt he'd come up with the perfect comparison instead "How would you feel if I went up to Chi Chi and said something like that. Wouldn't you feel the slightest bit '_embarised' _?" 

Maybe emabarised was too light a word in relation to what he'd felt. He'd been so shamed it was unbelievable. She was fast becoming someone he couldn't figure out what he felt for anymore and knowing barely anything about her didn't help matters either. The little things he did know where more based on suspision than actual proof. Like the time he felt he'd known what would have happened next in the fight that seemed so long ago now. Now he was sure he would barely be able to look at her with out going right past the other penultimate shades to the ultimate shade of heated red. 

Goku looked thoughtful awhile before speaking and when he did speak it was drawled out in a kind of questioningly sure tone. As if he was sure of the answer in one breath but expecting the words 'wrong answer' to ring out from somewhere at any moment. 

"No?" Krillin repeated in surprise. How could the alutration fail? If there was anything that would have been the perfect example it was Chi-Chi. It was so obvious she liked him and he knew it wasn't growing solo either. "Why not?" he asked needing an answer all of a sudden to explain why on earth he'd come up with such a different outcome. 

"Because I would agree...she _is_ beautiful" he said patiently, as if somehow it was Krillin who didn't understand the sittuation. "...just like her cooking...hmm" his added gaze suddenly brightening perceptably "speaking of which...I'm hungry." and as if in answer to this his stomach rumbled as if to prove its owner wasn't lying. "Yup, definately." he affirmed sheepishly.   


"Oh I just give up." Krillin finally stated defeated.   
  
  
  
  


********************* 

She looked shyly at him stealing surreptitious glances at the man lounging next to her watching her every move and frankly making her feel more than a little self conscious. 

'Call me Goku.' He'd once said while she'd clutched onto the only weapon she could find which had just happened to be a pan. She hadn't wanted to be anywhere near any of them unarmed but he was the kind of person that would win you over before you knew it. When she'd got that bit used to him, enough to ask anyway, she'd found he preferred that name because a 'very good friend' had given it to him as he put it and he'd been human too which had been surprising to say the least. Then he'd died. Sure he'd been somewhat old but Goku insisted, more than convinced he'd died because he'd given up. 

"You don't have to do this you know." Chi-chi said nervously as he handed her another dish. "It's my job…I can do it." 

"I know Chi-Chi." He said laughing a little. The sound of her name on his lips practically skipped across her eardrums. 

"I guess I just want to help…" He smiled. She gave an answering grin, cheeks reddening as she tried to hide her face as unobtrusively as possible. 

"You know, you're …different." She said feeling a tingle as their hands brushed slightly as he handed her another dish which she almost dropped but he caught it with a smile, that beautiful innocent beam of his, handing it back to her though this time she made sure their fingers didn't brush again or there would have gone the plate again. 

"I mean your brother…he's…" she stopped wondering briefly if saying what she really thought about his brother was a wise thing to do. 

"Erm…excuse me..." she apologised before hand as she stretched across him to reach for another dish which he'd been too busy watching her, a faint questioning in his gaze to remember to hand to her. Yet it worked in her favour with the deliberately caused closeness that existed then though the assault it caused on her senses was more than she'd expected. Dark eyes held hers and for a breathless moment they just stared at each other. She was the first to look away drowning the dish she'd reached for into the water. 

"Chi-Chi." He said suddenly making her freeze. It took a while but she summoned enough control to be able to look at him without blushing "Yes." She asked her voice soft and just barely above a whisper. 

"I—I was wondering—" 

"Yes?" she prompted encouragingly pushing tendrils of her hair from her rapidly colouring face. 

"Would you—" he looked a little embarrassed and uncomfortable and his imperceptible shrug was one of such. His hand went to his head. Sometimes she could almost easily forget he belonged to the race of people that had taken her from her home, that she professed an anger at his kind...because, amazingly, he was nothing like any of them.... "Would I what?" she questioned voice almost not working at all. 

"I was wondering…" he began again "do you think you could make those 'cookie' things again? I've really come to like them." 

She was both surprised and befuddled, it took a few minutes to comprehend and register since it was something so starkly different from what she'd been expecting to hear. "Cookies?" she repeated at a loss. 

He nodded eagerly. "Oh yes." He affirmed. 

He was talking about cookies, she thought feeling suddenly deprived. After that feeling…that almost electrical surge. What did he need to actually register something else besides food? A cosmic storm? He'd just eaten all of a few minutes ago. 

She sighed "_Sure_." She said trying hard not to let the disappointed anger she felt show in her voice but failing miserably. "Why not…I can make _cookies_." She bit off as she returned to washing the plates probably washing with a bit too much force. 

"Great." He said beaming happily oblivious "I didn't know how to ask, I thought you would say no." 

"Why would I? I'm your slave remember." She pointed out sourly wondering if she would have to wear a burger suit to actually catch and _keep _ his attention..   
  
  
  
  


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Zahi couldn't help grinning as another expletive made its way to his hearing. It was almost a common occurrence and it usually followed a failed attempt at something that she felt should be easy enough which explained her frustration at not being able to do it. From previous experiences he'd realised offering her any help was not a good idea and he'd learnt, quickly too, that with everything he said or offered he was to be very, very careful. In providing anything...help or otherwise he'd had to be subtle. 

When she'd arrived the first time she'd just stood off from him arms folded effectively putting the distance of a huge chasm between them and her glare hadn't budged from him in the slightest always watching his every move with almost hawk like vigil. She still did but it had been the most unnerving thing he'd ever come across _then_, he was used to it now, _almost_. 

He hadn't been able to say a thing right by her either…he'd suggested he show her to the room...okay maybe it could have been taken in another way entirely if he thought about it but at the time he'd just been trying to do _something_ right. She'd instantly misconstrued it and practically jumped down his throat with a whole lot of accusations that he supposed he shouldn't really blame her for having especially after the encounter with Phebes, he would have to be blind to not know what he was like, but it had stung just the same. 

She was determined not to trust him and her gaze had continued to follow him everywhere and lord if looks could kill. He'd hadn't had much of an easy success in finding her something to wear either since 'clothes for slaves' weren't top of the list except where the harem were concerned and you knew those didn't cover much and weren't designed to so he couldn't have given her any of those. He'd no doubt be truly dead now if he had. Besides he would much rather say the change of clothes, which he'd finally managed to acquire, was more for his sanity and safety because the dress she'd been put in was _way_ too short and if he wanted to keep his eyes safe as opposed to having them ripped out for being caught staring, then it would have to go. 

She was the most un-homely person he'd come across obviously graceful...sure strong, why sometimes he couldn't still believe it was the same person, granted but 'homely' no. Since she'd come he'd had to scrape things off the ceiling, repair two doors (how she'd managed to destroy those just boggled the mind, according to her she'd just 'pushed' them because they'd been stuck.) and top up a number of things that had some how met an unfortunate end, a few clothes that'd found themselves another colour, a couple of dishes, a pair of boots, a bed sheet and when it had come to cooking…he'd truly thought he would be without a home if he didn't intervene. 

Not that his efforts had been appreciated, his very suggestion that he show her how to overcome her obvious predicaments most especially obvious in food preparation had only brought forth a snappishly given 'why would I need your help?! you have done more than enough!' and it had been painfully obvious that she hadn't been talking about the 'help' he'd been offering either not unless it involved ravishing her planet. 'Well I need my help' had been his reply as he'd taken over and had been somewhat surprised that she didn't leave. Rather she'd just stood of to one side watching him in that unnerving way again. So much so he'd found his mind hit blanks many a time just due to that intense gaze that somehow managed to also look like she couldn't care less what he was doing. 

However he wouldn't change a thing. It was almost invisible but there was an ease to her that hadn't been obvious before. So he supposed he'd done something right. Who knew maybe she would soon realise that he didn't mean her any harm. He looked up as she walked past looking unphased as usual which still never failed to surprise. One minute she could be angry and the next she would look like she'd never been angry at all. Catching his gaze she glared at him almost challengingly till she disappeared from his view. 

She was the most stubbornly unreasonable person he'd ever meet. 

He found himself smiling.   
  
  
  
  
  


******************************** 

  
  
  
  
  


Angela looked over the crudely drawn map in front of her a hand going to her chin pensively as she 'hmm' ed lightly. She reached down to lift it up at the side so she could compare it with the other one beneath it as she made the same thoughtful sound again only this time tiny white teeth claimed part of her lip as its own her hand going to her hair to bat impatiently at the waywardly dangling curl. It somehow always seemed to find its own way which was always in a direction opposite to the rest of her hastily braided pigtails its loosened ends a mass of strawberry red curls just laying against her shoulders. Her progress wasn't helped either by the hindrance the small blonde haired child sitting on the table as she looked over some of the other wayward papers imitating her every thoughtfully unconscious movements. 

"Still having problems Angel?" a new voice asked making her look up the goggles seated on her head flashing in the lighting of the room as she did. A smile lit her face as she easily recognized it's owner and practically beamed at him eyes sparkling. 

"Oh no, no, no...it's nothing...I can figure this out..." she said managing to keep her smile genuine even if her attempt at lying was falling somewhat flat. 

He fixed her with an understanding look "Not coming along quite like you'd hoped hmm...?" She sighed suddenly, shoulders sagging slightly as she nodded and gave a brief gesture of frustration "...It's near nigh impossible! there's no way we can do it, not in the time we have, it will take ages. We might as well give up now." she said. 

He laughed softly as he took in the miniature proffered hand that was suddenly sent his way for an impromptu hand shake the girl grinning widely. He wiggled his moustache playfully an act which in turn seemed to make his glasses dance slightly too and also left the child in giggles before she climbed down from the table. 

He looked up at Angela "Angel, If anyone can do it then it's you..." he said as he moved over another table and placed the bits and pieces he'd been carrying. 

"You really think so?" she gushed almost going as far as clasping her hands together but realising quickly enough to stop it. He smiled at her as he nodded his gaze returning to the items on the table as she colored brightly. He looked over at the other occupier of the room who'd remained silent the whole time looking off into space and still remained so even when the child moved over to him ringlets dancing round a soft face as she dumped the stuffed toy she'd been holding into his lap almost confused when he didn't gush over the tattered thing that had seen so many better days but to her was still the most magnificent and treasured thing in her whole world, like most of the adults had. 

Her teddy was a big hit with them with everyone eager to introduce themselves and yet it wasn't with this one. He practically ignored her but when she became insistent waving it in front of his face asking sweetly if he would like to say hello to her 'teddikins' he'd looked at her...just once...but she wished he hadn't. "When's the brat going to leave...she's an annoying little pest." was all he said looking over at the man in glasses as if somehow it was all his fault. A trembling hand bravely reached out to snatch her toy back into the safety of her arms before she scurried to the safety Angela provided. She was scooped up and given a seating position against Angela's waist as the red head virtually glared at the dark haired man "she's a little child...meany." 

"oh...by the way...I completely forgot..." 

Angel looked up "yes?" 

"there's another group...tonight. Three." he said adjusting his glasses as he studied the metallic band like instrument. "Hmm...now finding a way to disable this can't be that hard." he said thinking out loud having digressed with ease as he studied it. Angela glanced at it slightly registering it as one of those things that fit around the angle or wrist and seemingly drained you of all your energy at once. The strange think was that it looked so inconspicuous and she'd put it on once thinking it a bracelet and had somehow activated it. The feeling hadn't been nice and she hadn't been able to move her tiny finger let alone anything else. 

"the group..." she prompted echoing perfectly the thoughts of the other occupier of the room even if he acted like he couldn't care less. 

He looked at her, lost a minute before remembering "oh...yes, it was a last minute thing...it skipped my mind awhile." he smiled guiltily and added "it's just one minor thing...it must be the simplest...but what" he said as the occupants of the room briefly did the switch for him inserting 'bracelet' and then 'back to the subject at hand' when he easily slipped from thinking out loud into his next sentence "besides the call should be coming... any... moment...now." 

"I need someone else, there's three on the run." a new voice broke in with an almost excited thrill to it the owner just popping in for a fraction of a second dark hair tumbling round his shoulders before he dashed back out wordlessly indicating time was of the essence. The blue creature just about able to keep up with him. 

I can't do it..." Angela said indicating the papers before her but she needn't have worried as someone else was keen to volunteer. "Finally, some action." was all he said a dangerous smile touching his lips as he left.   
  
  
  


*************************** 

  
  
  
  
  


Bulma suddenly smiled to herself. She didn't quite know why but she'd awoken with he feeling that she could do anything and being in this place would not, absolutely not be able to get her down. Everything would turn out all right because she believed it would and someone or something would come the rescue and make everything right again. 

It was just a nice thing to believe in and today it didn't seem in the slightest bit like the fairy tale it could so easily be. She began to hum not even having to think of what it was she was humming as it came almost naturally as she stepped back to admire her handwork. Yup, all dazzling white and fanning slightly in the sunny breeze…If she closed her eyes tightly enough she could almost imagine she were back home hanging out the washing on a normal day…where _normal_ things happened and she was blissfully oblivious to anything but tinkering round in the lab and the days greatest challenge would be coming up with one idea or the next and carrying it out to her satisfaction.   


It was a challenge because she was somewhat of a perfectionist where her experiments and inventions where concerned at least. Sometimes she wondered if she missed that even more than anything else. Being useful not menial tasks that you get forced to do anyway...but something challenging…and if not that then something 'fun' instead. Laughing softly at herself as she turned 

…And almost right into the figure behind her. 

A small sound of fear and surprise escaped her as she jumped thoughtlessly stepping back and almost loosing her balance which she reflexively fought to regain immediately not quite being able to find the time to carry it out with much dignity. The rest of the clean washing she'd been holding promptly hit the ground. 

Dark eyes simply regarded her expressionlessly as she quickly picked them with a muttered 'no' that lay somewhere between frantic and agonized, breathing a sigh of relief as she found all except one had escaped being messed up all over again. One won't matter too much but it was besides the point…it was one piece of hard work, which she would have to now do again. She was suddenly angry…prince or no there were tiny things called manners and it still remained that it was rude to sneak up on people like that! 

"What did you think you were doing creeping up on me like that!?" she burst out angrily then realising that speaking to the 'prince' of the planet like that could more than likely get her in trouble she fell silent waiting amidst a flutter of fear for what he was going to do next in response to her unrestrained speech. 

He merely stood there staring back at the angrily disdainful and yet cautious look in her eyes."It was you." Was the single thing he said moving round her in a slight semi circle with an almost predatory smirk that matched the way he was now taking her in. 

"What do you mean?" she questioned her hand pushing strands of cerulean hair from her face wanting nothing to block her vision of him. He set her on edge and made everything within her cry 'danger'. Every single move he made she wanted to see with crystal clarity in time to get her reflexes going. 

However, She wasn't prepared when his hand closed round her chin lifting her face for a better study of that stubborn set face. "The floor…" he said simply. 

She pulled away quickly absolutely sure it was the intensity of his gaze that had called forth her increased heartbeat and if looks could kill he would be dead by now from the single glare she gave him as if challenging his right to do what he'd just done and she wasn't just referring to the fact that he'd touched her. 

Oh she remembered all right. It was pretty hard not to remember the fact that he had stepped on her clean floor and would have walked over her if she hadn't moved for all the attention he'd paid to where he was going. It might have well been a steamroller coming her way. After all when the whole world parted for him why should he bother looking where he going at any one time. 

Bulma froze suddenly. When he'd said 'it was you' he wasn't referring to the somewhat colourful language she'd used was he? He hadn't heard her had he? She said nothing. It was obvious that she had been going to say something before but she remained resolutely silent. 

He made a small nonchalant sound before asking, "who do you belong to?" 

"Nobody." She said indignantly. _I don't belong to anyone!_

"Good." He said leaving with his smirk only now it was a self satisfied one. She felt confused. What exactly had she missed? Had that been some kind of trick question she hadn't understood…? because she'd expected a different reaction, a much different one. She felt unease creep over her. 

  
  
  
  
  
  


**Extra note**; I promised this about a week ago didn't I? there I was 'oh I've finally got it!' and on with my 'fingers crossed' thing *shrugs* reasons? I'm just a lazy lounger...then again I'm not. It's like they just know I want to just sit and write and so I get lumbered with more work than I can wade through and when I've got through just half of it I'm so tired I fall asleep. It sounds like a lame excuse right? it does to me. You wouldn't believe it until you see it. It's a nightmare. The other day I got a huge wad of papers, something like 265 pages *screams and pulls out strand of dark hair* what do they think I am? I can't possibly get through all that! *sigh* Anyway back to the point,...this was no doubt a highly boring chapter and not worth the wait. ^_^, oh well, not to worry...I'm not totally satisfied either but it is kinda an interlude. Besides, did you guess who any of the people above where (apart from Angel, she's another filler character, hence mine)...the rest of them...oh come on, it isn't that hard...I think I made it way too easy.. 

On to the next chapter which shouldn't take as long (if they just give me time to myself sheeesh) but I guess that much more happens (I can't tell though) but you've still got the clues for all the help they are. ^__^ ... 

*Low curtsey* See you guys in the next chapter then.   
  


**Chapter six;**

Hope is a hard thing sought Love isn't always what we feel. A price is asked and danger will loom A dark trail is taken and eyes of blue will save you…   
  



	7. Discoveries

**Author notes**;   


"All together!" came the shout from the sitting room. "Everybody it's all together time!"   


"Coming! I'm coming!" came the reply from upstairs as the laptop was put aside and Aymei came dashing down the stairs like she had a hurricane on her tail and stumbled into the sitting room just in time for the routine but unfortunately just that step late and her series of hysterical laughter didn't help concentration either as she practically fell through the steps for 'murder on the dance floor' causing Lexi who till now had been going at it flawlessly dissolve into laughter her movements becoming just as uncoordinated. At the end of which she fell to the ground laughing while Aymei fell into the chair panting.   


Marvin shook his head. "You can't dance can you…" it wasn't even a question.   


"I came late _sheesh_! gimme a break." Aymei replied defensively.   
  


**More notes**:: Oh yeah! see me and my Venus style pose ^_^ (yes, I watch sailor moon...go sue me...I even crack up at flint the time detective I don't care...I like what I like sooo...Nyah! *rasp*) Oh, I must say a very big diamond encrusted thank-you to you Deadly beauty. You popped along and read my boring chapter and even reviewed *grins* thank you *smiles brightly*. I would that I could sing you a very nice song **buuutt**...you'd go deaf in the space of a few minutes. I know it took me ages like you said...yeah it absolutely did (bad, terrible, naughty, stupid Aymei) ...who knows it may not take me too long to bring out the next chapter.   
  


**Chapter six**; Discoveries 

  


**Diary again**;   


_It's happened again. I can't help but find out because all the guards seem to know only they talk about it amongst themselves. The escapes they're becoming frequent again. I more than suspect it's only a matter of time before it will reach the king's knowledge. So far it's managed to stay secret with the guards feeling it their duty to keep it under wraps and deal with it in their own way. Yet the more people that know surely it meant it was closer to being found out._ __

_I don't know which to feel more sorry for. The slaves who if they didn't escape got caught and killed or the guards sent after them...mainly consiting of the junior ones. Who else would get sent out on a chase that could take ages with the threat of a 'befitting' punishment if they failed. I've passed that stage at least for that I am grateful._ __

_She comes to mind a lot when I think of my position. Maybe if I was of a much higher rank I could stand a chance. I could be deluding myself and then I may not...but just maybe if I was...it would be easier to tell her?...If I could just give her something she was worthy of, somehow have her see me in a different light than what she would immediately see in me if I said a word..._

  
  
  
  
  


-------------------- 

There's no easy way out 

When you're ready to go   


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The woods flew by in a pitch black blur as they ran. Apart from the eerily silent sound of the forest the only sounds filling their ears above the sound of their frantic breathing was the desperate contact of their feet as it propelled them towards the one place of safety, each one taking them further from danger. The leaves beat against them on slapping the younger female in the face but she didn't do much more than flinch slightly. Her desire to keep running was too much to let a mere slap in the face slow her down.   


There was a loud fall and a sound of expelled air. To the sensitive hearing of their pursuers it would sound like a klaxon. They would be on them in less than a second. The girl knew that. Her companion knew it. Yet he still stayed his hands closing round her arms to pull her up loosing precious seconds as he helped her up looking worried at the wince she gave. The look on her face was one of indescribable thanks but also pain.   


A snap came like a crack of thunder and they were off again in a silent form of agreement that hadn't needed to be spoken. The approaching sounds were enough to spur them both into simultaneous action. She was on her feet quickly almost pulling him down in her haste to rise. Knowing that death could be swiftly approaching and could catch up to them anytime was an excellent boast and she was soon matching him stride for stride. Rising panic sent her running even faster than he could ever hope to achieve with the roles now reversed and her pulling him along desperately. Fear making the tears roll down her cheeks but finding this no time to break down she was soundless, heart thumping wildly in her ears. 

"We're almost there." The man rushed the emotion in his voice verging on the emotion that came with the shining of hope just before him.   


The hurrying sound was almost upon them, the rustling of bushes that signified the rush of more than one person breaking trails through them. In every silent space in-between was the terrifying 'silence' the silence that spoke, louder than any single sound could, of superhuman movement that was as fast as it was deadly, ghostly hands already upon them in the terrified parts of their minds…then out of nowhere someone jumped out right in front of them, eliciting terrified cries from the sufficiently terrified pair. They fell back seemingly finding some still working part of their fear clogged minds to form the thought that drove them together the young girl clinging to the man tightly almost like that simple action would somehow teleport them far far away from this nightmare.   


Laughter dispelled the natural silence of the forest as the man towered over the terrified couple just as two other guards joined him grinning and it was painfully obvious that they'd been toying with them. Like a cat with a mouse. All that time...leading them to actually believe hat they stood a chance at escape.   


"What did you think? That you could actually escape?"   


The ball of light formed in his outstretched hand illuminating the triumphant smile on his face and the look of terror on that of his captives. They looked like rabbits caught in the headlights of a car as they helplessly stared at their approaching deaths. Unable to keep looking the girl buried her face into the man's chest her grip on him deathly in itself as if screaming out loud but without a sound passing her lips.   


_Just let it be quick._ She prayed remembering how they'd drawn out the suffering of her friend her agonized screams having rang out all over the forest. 

  


_I wish it didn't have to end like this._ He thought finally having the closeness he'd craved from her for so long only for it to be seconds before he was meant to die. 

and death did come…   


Just not to the clinging couple…rather to the man who till now had stood up right only to now fall to his knees face contorted in pain and anger. They both looked up confused…right into light blue eyes shining unnaturally in the moonlight the fading radiance from his hand now leaving his face shadowed. Confusion dulled the other two guards' reaction times and they were knocked out suddenly quicker than the perplexed duo could record it. The remaining couple just continued staring up at the intimidating figure before them new fear dawning…that was still the other stepped forward with a satisfied sound of having dealt with the other two guards that now lay unconscious on the forest floor.   
  


"on your feet quickly." He spoke suddenly forcibly ushering the 'still in shock' pair to their feet.   
  


They only got a glimpse of him but the most noticeable thing about him was the 'x' shaped scar on his face. They willing followed once he said something they both recognised and realised he didn't mean to kill them. Besides they felt him the safer option than the other man who in all that time had not mentioned one single word or barely breathed as he stood there taking everything in with a deceiving laziness when it was clear that underneath it all his reflexes were so finely attuned he was like a coiled panther just waiting to pounce on the next thing that moved. 

"Come on we don't want more company!" The other dark haired man said 

The blue eyed boy smiled dark hair curtaining his face as it tilted as if in thought for a moment in time " I don't know…it might be fun." He said even though he turned and followed them moving so silently he might as well not exist. 

  
  
  


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It was morning. 

Zahi could tell. 

It was there in the sounds that announced it to his ears…it was there in the breeze he could feel bringing with it the smell of a fresh new day its form that of quiet supplication. 

It was still an early morning nonetheless. 

He knew it even before he even formed the thought of opening his eyes.   


However he _wasn't_ prepared for the head of blonde hair that caught his eye, laying just within arms reach right next to him, lovely even in its tousled state several strands having fallen forward over her forehead giving the impression of a fringe. She was breathing softly, nose flaring slightly with every intake of breath. The daylight danced across creamy smooth skin caused mainly by the rustling leaves outside the window creating shades and patterns over her exposed back as it rose and fell infinitesimally upon her every breath. She stirred slightly golden lashes fluttering slightly as they opened to reveal twin luminous seas of ice blue. She smiled a warm if lazy smile. He reached out to her… 

And he encountered nothing.   


He opened his eyes suddenly…sure enough it was morning and sure enough the curtains were fluttering slightly but the dappled patterns were playing over the empty space next to him that had never been filled…except in his recent dreams. He groaned and pulled the nearest pillow over his head slamming it down two or three times against it in silent self reproach.Then realising he would be late since he was supposed to turn up for duty early today he jumped out of bed quickly running fingers through hair that was more unruly than its normal disorderly state. He was finally in with a chance to get a possible promotion, turning up late would not do him any favours. He grabbed a hold of the nearest form of covering, which happened to be the sheets, and tore out the room towards the bathroom thundering past a startled blonde that felt the tinge coating his cheeks was in all words…strange.   
  


****************   
  
  
  
  
  
  


Vegeta's attention was not focused on the environment about him. The scene before him didn't matter. His thoughts mainly revolved around the colour 'blue' but he wasn't so lost that he didn't sense the person approach. He didn't need to turn to know who it was.   


"What took you so long." he said his voice not rising above a normal tone but still sounding like he'd practically barked the place down.   


Nappa knew better than to let a sigh escape him but he could vividly see himself hanging a placard round his neck that read 'in the doghouse...again'.   


"I'm sorry...I came as quickly as I could."   
  


It was a few seconds before Vegeta spoke "Well, did you get it done?"   


"Erm...no..." he answered "He said he'd never heard of a blue haired girl."   


"What do you mean he's never heard of a blue haired girl...either you're incompetent or he is!"   


"He said--"   


Vegeta turned on him "He said, he said...Haven't you words of your own. Does Phebes speak for you?"   


"No he doesn't." he said quelling his indignant tone at being accused of being a less superior officer's puppet pausing slightly he began again "I found that he knows no blue haired girl, the girl he'd been talking about had blonde hair.   


Vegeta turned back to the scene again gaze widening imperceptibly as he saw her. "there she is." he said no having to look over his shoulder to know Nappa would come to look without being told.   
  


He spotted the girl instantly. Not because of her hair colour but mainly because she was the only one with two other females virtually chasing after her. She was suddenly surrounded by them and there seemed to be a sort of argument taking place. It was obvious that she was in some form of trouble as one of the girls had a vice like grip round her arm and from the look of things it wasn't because she was overtly friendly either.   
  


"…that's the one!, " Nappa suddenly announced with an almost celebratory tone "the one just approaching." He said added pointing and quite rudely it would be considered.   


Sure enough there was a blonde short haired girl approaching pace unhurried but yet leaving no one in doubt as to her target and at first it seemed like she meant the girl harm too. 

  


It was something upon which the other girls, that had taken to caging in the blue haired one with obvious menace, promptly focused all their attention on her stepping back a bit albeit done reluctantly as they hesitated almost challengingly. She hadn't had to do a thing, there was just that understated 'you-don't-mess-with-me' air about her and as she got nearer they decided it wise to flee instead but not before one of them boldly made an insulting gesture with her hands but didn't wait to see what the consequences would be. Soon both girls were having some kind of conversation with the blue haired girl holding onto something that shimmered in the daylight no doubt what ever it was that the other girls had been after.   


"She's not the one I want…" Vegeta announced simply "You've seen the girl I'm talking about you know what to do. Do it."   


"Right away." Nappa answered quickly.   


"And Nappa…don't botch it up or it's your head." Vegeta said with menacing warmth. He nodded leaving quickly.   
  


Not far away the King had been looking out of his window appreciatively taking in his on coming building and already seeing in his minds eye it's finished form when he'd spotted the slight scene. Strangely enough it had somehow caught his attention where he hadn't been too bothered before.Suddenly his building hadn't been the most important thing on his mind anymore. No, he'd lost interest in that since his attention had shifted.   


Ever since she'd come into view.   


He watched the girls below as they suddenly broke up the short conversation that had ensued over, one leaving with a brief nod at the other. Yet his gaze did not follow her as she left. It stayed with the remaining one clutching something in her hands as she watched the other leave. _She'd_ caught his attention and she was keeping it as he glanced over her appreciatively.   


The girl looked at what ever it was she was clutching and it shimmered a little as she moved it a little her hands closing round it again. She looked back up at the girl that had just left no doubt somewhat confused as she stood there wonderingly. Then as if after a mental shrug she turned and left the sunlight catching highlights upon lightly tousled strands of spun blonde.   
  
  
  
  


*******************   
  


She looked down at the necklace wrapped round her hand, its silver quality glittering slightly against her skin. She was lost in thought awhile as she did contemplating its arrival into her possession. Bulma had said it belonged to Chichi and she'd found it only a few days ago lying hidden in the corner of the cell where it had no doubt fallen and been forgotten. Bulma's theory had been that she'd lost it during the struggle and she'd been too distraught to notice the thin silver thing. 

That was why she'd been followed. Somehow the other girls had found she had it and had wanted her to hand it over to them what with it being able to be used in a trade, which was something Bulma hadn't been about to do. Invariably spelling trouble. She'd thus given the necklace to her to look after it and she'd been somewhat confused. Her reason for handing her something so obviously important to her had been that it would be safe with her. The thing was she hadn't known where to keep such a fiddly item and so she just kept it on her person wrapped round her wrist. 

She reached out for the material hanging on the line where she'd draped it the day before to dry only she'd ended up leaving it out all night. She watching almost disbelievingly uncomprehending as it was suddenly blown from her reach and she watched it as it literally sailed over her and planted itself in the arms of a nearby tree. A vexed expression crossed her face as the wind came again lightly scattering her hair all over the place. She turned in the direction the offending item had taken glaring daggers at it as it sat in the arms of the tree goading in its very position. She gave a low angry growl of vexation. She almost contemplated leaving it for there was no way she was going to climb up to get the annoying thing if it didn't want to be taken in the first place. She sighed and reached up to bring it back down landing easily enough folding the material almost thoughtfully.   


She turned sharply the first thought running through her head being why she didn't sense the intrusion earlier and the second being that that person would die. She hadn't expected it to be Krillin. Which besides the problem it posed had made her heart skip a beat. 

"Juuhachi?!" the wavering question was given both at what he'd seen and the look that crossed her face and he was becoming more sure every passing millisecond that that look didn't promise anything nice. He briefly wondered if he was always going to be finding out things about this girl he was becoming more than infatuated with. Someone he barely knew and he wondered if that was part of the attraction. A few days back he'd been so red faced he could barely look at her and to think he'd been more worried about how he would be able to look at her again...it kinda paled in comparison now. In the blink of an eye he was up against the wall with a grip that would snap his neck with just that more pressure.   


"W-what are you doing?" his voice held alarm.   
  


Her smile was no smile "You tell anyone, _anyone_...and I _will _kill you." She promised glaring at him the intensity of it practically burning through him..   
  


"But—but…why?" he spluttered silently wishing to be on the ground again. It was...embarrassing to dangle so.   


" I would've thought that was obvious."   


"I didn't see a thing!" he said just as suddenly realising that he'd just confessed he had in almost the same breath that he had been trying to suggest he hadn't. 

  


"You'd wish you really hadn't if you so much as _think _of what you 'didn't' see." She said simply. 

  


"I wouldn't...I-I don't...wouldn't...never..." 

  


She looked at him a while watching him silently mind working behind eyes that were expressionless. Part of her thoughts revolved round whether or not to trust him to keep his mouth shut. Then again he had to know better than to blab. 

"A single word…and I hunt you down and have your guts for garters...and I _will _know whether you utter a word or not...okay?" She reminded him voice unhurried, low and deadly serious. She let him go only when he nodded. His hand went to his neck and he grimaced as he rubbed it gently.   
  


"I wouldn't have said a thing even if you hadn't told me to" He said glumly. 

  


"Proberbly not." she flipped over her shoulder as she turned away putting the offending material aside. "...since you've things you wish hidden too but..." she turned to look at him again her gaze almost pinning him "I don't take chances."   


He looked blank. Things he wished to keep hidden? The very thought that she could know...then again could that much more surprise him?...yes. She was either a mind reader too or just blessed with a knack for guessing absolutely.   
  


"W-What do you mean?" he asked. She fixed him with a gaze that seemed to ask if he thought her stupid.   
  


"You're strong." She stated.   


He looked confused "How do you…H—how can you...know…"   


"You panicked." she informed him as calmly as if she were saying the grass was green her inflection holding no trace of the mild surprise she'd felt at the time. He didn't understand...how could panicking tell her that? To say he was a bit puzzled by it was to put it mildly but he said nothing…because for one he couldn't find anything _to_ say at that point. He was still trying to get over the first hurdle.   


The only explanation he could come up with was that she had sensed it because he obviously hadn't 'said' anything.Unless she must have been fitting pieces together and finally come to a conclusion but what had _he _let slip previous to this. He couldn't remember if he had or hadn't. He briefly wondered if it was wise to ask any of the questions that kept him from finding out the last few pieces that made up who she was. The most prominent still being why she didn't give of a ki signature but he felt like he would be prying. What would she think with him issuing such questions, what made him think she would answer them for a start.   


He looked at her figuring he could _try _and ask when he saw something sparkle catching the sunlight briefly as it slipped off her wrist and fell suddenly and he quickly bent to pick it up for her before actually knowing what it was, unfortunately she had the same idea and they both bent down to retrieve the item each one too intent on their missions to see the danger. Their heads collided.   


It was more surprise than anything else that made the small sound escape her but he took it for one of pain, especially since he was practically seeing stars. He was instantly contrite.   


"Oh god I'm sorry…I'm so sorry I didn't mean to—" his hand went to her fore head brushing aside short strands of blonde his gaze and thumb searching for a bump or a hint that one would be rearing its head anytime soon.   


"I didn't hurt you or anything did I…It's okay isn't it...I _really_ didn't mean to, it was an accident…" after his initial frantic concern and died down just a pace on realising there wasn't anything there or a sign of one to come he suddenly realisedthat he was just _that_ far from her and she was at him as if one of them had just lost the plot and he didn't quite know which one of them it was directed at. She stared at him mouth slightly agape…in shocked disbelief?. He withdrew his hands like he'd been burned and he would have apologised again if he could just get it out beyond the locking gaze of blue.   


"I-" he began 

  


"Don't you have jobs to do" a new voice intruded making them practically jump apart increasing the space between themselves from a few guilty inches to a huge chasm. Juuhachi recognised him instantly as did Krillin and he almost said exactly what he suddenly thought.   


_Oh no..._ _not again._   


Images of the fight that had sent events careening down hill since it's instigation returned to mind and from the look on the guards face he hadn't forgotten it either…far from it. He watched as they warily eyed each other an atmosphere building dangerously again. 

"Er yes?, yes we've got jobs to do...we're doing erm...the washing, that's it yes..." Krillin said quickly waving to the other sheet lying on the line as he jumped into the gap in the conversation wherein which they practically glared at each other.   
  


_Nice save_. He thought himself silently short of physically giving himself a pat on the back. It was ultimately better than nothing.It was not going to end up like it had before. Before he'd hadn't a chance to do anything this time he was going with gut feeling before everything went haywire again.   


The guard looked at him suspiciously taking in him first and then the clothes on the line and then the peg he'd somehow managed to acquire. He looked back at Juuhachi who simply looked back at him saying nothing but a small smile played round her lips.   


"Hn..." he said simply walking away but in no way finished with her. She still had to pay for his humiliation. He fumed silently stopping once to look back his burning gaze now moving from the female to the man she was now next to glaring daggers at him as she snatched the peg he was sheepishly offering her. He was still going to get his own back only this time he was going to be just that much more thoughtful in planning it out. A head on clash was useless…no this time he had something better in mind and he liked the idea forming. 

  
  
  
  


***************   
  
  


Bulma looked round fugitively.   


She couldn't believe it, she'd just beenfilling a basket with fruits and had just spotted it. As if it had almost been placed there just for her. She could not believe that they could be so careless. It had to be a trap…but if it wasn't? If she had it she could…hell she didn't know what she could but she knew it would come in handy when she eventually found some use for it.   


Maybe it was a case of having the resources first and then coming up with a plan later. She couldn't very well walk past it and not do a thing. What would anyone else do?…her hands twitched. Everything within her was crying…no screaming out for her to do it. She wasn't so prone to crazy ideas but she was now so that showed how much she knew...maybe she wasn't as level headed she liked to believe. All she had to do was simply pick it up, no one was looking.   


She looked up and everything confirmed it. No one was even paying attention. The weapon left on the table was forgotten or not even known to be there. Looking kind a handheld scanning device but she knew it was more than that. She'd seen enough people on the receiving end to know it could deliver a pretty nasty jolt of electricity...with a little tinkering...who knew. It would proberbly come in handy...but what would happen when the owner came looking for it? Worse yet what if it happened right when she was picking it up. She would be skinned…she would be executed or something…she would be beaten to an inch of her life…oh there would be so much hell to pay— 

  


She snapped it up smoothly and almost to quick for the eye to see even surprising herself and buried it in the small hand held basket she initially brought to use for the fruit shoving it to the bottom of her load walking away as quickly and as inconspicuously as she could wishing she didn't feel like there was an evil gremlin running after her shouting at the top of its malicious voice to alert the whole world to what she'd just done.   


"Hey!, you! Stop right there." 

  


She did. She literally '_froze_ right there' the world seeming to crash into a silence that was both heavy and scary. Everything had taken on a far off dreamlike state…almost like it was all happening but she was watching it from afar. She turned to face the approaching guard a scowl on his face reaching for his own weapon.   
  


"Hand it over now." He said. 

  


"W—what?" she asked her overtly squeaky voice hurting even her own ears. It sounded too high…too panicked…too suspicious...too 'oh-no-I've-been-caught-red-handed' 

  


"You heard me…Put what you took right back down." 

  


Cold sweat washed over her. Oh no, oh no, oh no, oh— "the fruits slave! Put them right back are you deaf?! Are you not aware that you aren't supposed to take from the fruits in here, how dare you come in here and place you filthy hands on them…do you know who they belong to…!" 

A wave of relief flooded her… but her worry and fear didn't abate totally. If she was to put back the fruit her little 'cargo' would be revealed but the guard didn't seem like he would let up anytime soon…not until he was obeyed. As if to prove this his angry voice filled her ears again " Now!" 

  


She moved to put the basket on the table to begin taking them out her hands trembling so much she could hardly do it but the fear of having him yank it from her and tip out the contents was motivation enough for her to try harder…maybe…just maybe if she emptied it strategically she could hide it from view.   


"What are you doing?!"   


The new voice made her heart almost leap out of her chest…at first thinking it was the guard speaking to her again until she realised it was another approaching one...the last thing she wanted was more guards...please not more. The new guard though wasn't looking at her when she looked up. He was looking at his counterpart with an almost incredulous expression on his face.   
  


"She belongs to the prince you idiot…why else would she come here...I doubt she's stupid. He no doubt sent her here to get them. Another foolish move like that and you're job will be on the line." 

  


The other guard looked like he had suddenly swallowed a porcupine. "Prince Vegeta?...how was I supposed to know...I'm still new!" he said looking back at Bulma and then back at the other guard. "Why didn't you say something sooner." He questioned 

"I have now." came the reply. 

Bulma didn't much care about what they were going on about she was just happy enough to scuttle out of the place as quick as her legs could carry her and her prized bit of treasure when he said the single redeeming word   
  


"Go!"   
  


So there was actually an advantage in being 'owned' by a man she could barely stand. She thought to herself. He'd just bulldozed his way into her life and turned everything upside down. She hated him, that much she knew just as much as she was attracted to the arrogant so and so...and he seemed to know it, either that or he was just naturally annoying. 

  


****************** 

  
  
  
  


She opened the door slowly peering inside blue locks of hair falling forward as she did now devoid of the material she'd round her hair earlier more to spite him this time. He'd insisted it be removed after charmingly informing her it made her look like an old woman. It now sat in her pocket where she'd shoved it angrily silently raining a thousand litanies on his head as she'd picked the bowl he'd ordered filled with fruit. She had no doubt as to the fact that he didn't particularly want or need it.   


He was just finding ways to make her life a living nightmare. Prove a point. That no matter how much she glared at him and wanted him to rot and fall to pieces so she could kick him up side his arrogant head, it wouldn't happen and she couldn't...whether she liked it or not at the end of the day she had no choice but to obey what ever fools errand he sent her on because like it or not he owned her. Maybe not every part of her but certainly as far as it was needed to have her all over the place with her having to grin and bear it.   


He knew it.   


He wanted her to know it too.   
  


So it was only in her minds eye that she'd picked up the bowl and smashed it over something painful instead of walking out obediently, as she told him to 'shove off' and run his own errands.   
  


The room seemed empty and she looked behind her almost expecting to find him sanding there watching the spectacle she made peering into the room to make sure of his absence. She finally entered sure that it was empty and hoping to just pop in and pop out again and avoid seeing him at all. She moved the table in the room her proposed destination.   


"What took you so long." came the sharp put out tone.   


She jumped startled terribly the bowl slipping from her hands and even slipping through her quick attempt to catch it before it hit the ground. She closed her eyes tightly expecting the sound of shattering glass to reach her ears. It didn't break and it surprised her...for a second till she figure out that what she'd till now thought to be glass was either unbreakable or some other material that looked and felt like glass. She bent to pick the fruit rolling everywhere putting it back into the bowl wondering for a second whether to put it on the table or wait to see if he would send her back all over again to get another batch.   


She decided to ask first. "Do you want me to replace them?" she asked trying unsuccessfully to quell the hope in her voice suddenly wanting out of this place. Tired or not. She moved towards him with the now refilled bowl at the slight indication he made having to restrain herself from jutting it in his face like she so wanted to. She was so tired from going up and down for him and having him enjoy it so much as he no doubt knew she felt like screaming.   


"Just one" he said not even bothering to hide his smile at the flash of quelled blue fire. What got her even more riled was that she found under normal circumstances she could adore that lopsided smile laying between sly and seductive but what was even more surprising was that when her fingers brushed his as she handed it to him she felt the inane desire to curl her fingers round his and not let go.   


He made a play of studying it thoroughly before taking a huge chunk out of it. He made a low sound of pretended thoughtfulness but it still managed to make her knees almost dissolve under her. He fixed her with a gaze that suddenly seemed to know she was consciously holding her breath and laugh at her for it. She fumed as she lowered her gaze to the floor trying to sound as submissive as possible above the anger she felt at him and at herself.   


"Will that be all...Can I leave now?"   


_**Please** _say yes.   


"No."   


She snapped "But why not! I've done everything you've asked--" She stopped herself sharply with a mental slap. She'd gone and done it again. It was opening her mouth at an impromptu moment, kinda like now, that had started this in the first place. 

A smart Alex chat back and she'd been on more errands than anyone should be allowed to.   


"I didn't mean that." she said lying easily enough. He rose managing to tower over her intimidating and she took a couple steps backward reflexively which he covered just as quickly barely seeming to move making her gasp a little.   


"Scared of me?." he asked   


"No." she said congratulating herself silently when none of the frantic fear she'd felt showed up in her voice.   


"You should be...I can send you to the moon and back if I so want to and you haven't a say in it, I could order the skin peeled from your back if it is my desire." he said dropping the half eaten fruit back into the bowl as his gaze flickered over her taking in the unconsciously defiant jut of her chin. 

"I own you. Learn to live with it and things will be so much easier for you." he said with a grin. He moved away from her leaving her wide eyed and still holding the bowl against her chest as if it somehow granted her some kind of protection.   


"On second thoughts, replace them...and this time don't take so long..."   
  


************* 

**Chapter seven; **

You don't know why but you can't explain it either 

Stronger things rule your life than you can imagine 

There are no heroes and no one to rely on 

It is all too late…changes have begun 

**Endnote?**   


I finished another chapter. Took longer than I thought it would about a week is it? It was supposed to be half of that but I had teachers to see and portfolios to show (which I had to hurridly fill...it's quite a good thing I file these things immediately I get them, I only had to hunt for a few notes) hence I was getting it all together. 

Ever notice how the printer botches up on you when you need it the most? Problems range from paper jam...to no more ink...to no paper *sigh* anyway, I had to stay up all night for this one an' all _and_ I almost didn't finish it...too busy dancing to every song that came up on the radio (yes...dancing even at 2.00 clock in the morning. You can't help but move to the groove)...you just gotta love heart 106.2 fm.. Just when I think; okay song finished get back to writing, another favourate comes on and there I go again. 

Tell you what, I must go work on the next chapter is what I should do, while I'm still on this roll...finally re-harnessed my desire and I am roping it right in...absolutely no getting away. Apologies for spelling mistakes and such lot...blame it on the late night and any non-flows too. I did try to check. (now hasn't this been alot of prattle eh?...yeah *nods* you can go now...I let you off ^__^) 


	8. Revelations and...Possessions?

**Author notes;**   


"...that's it videl...just give up..." The sound of the television carried far in the small sitting room but that didn't seem to bother the occupants. What with both parents out for the day...the sentence would've been completed with '..._the mice will play_' if it were to have been spoken. Aymei, who's eyeballs had till now been carrying of a love affair with the television screen suddenly closed them and clasped her hands together sighing dreamily as the dark haired youth on the television screen seemed to be having a hard time controlling his rapidly boiling anger over the fight going on on the tournament stage. This didn't draw any attention at all. *sigh* "oh Gohan, why not get all angry over _me_ some time...You'll go super saiyan all just for me...just cause you loooove meee sooooo much and forever more I will doodle little love hearts all round you and you will say oh Aymei what you do to me...!" **_That_** drew some attention. Marvin and Lexi looked up at her almost instantly with stunned expressions and if only they had actually been able to say anything it would have gone something along the lines of 'what in the...'. Insted they just gaped. An eyelid opened slowly followed by it's counterpart a second after adding the finishing touch to an expression just as shocked at that of her siblings. A simple look at the table were five 'tracker' bar wrappers lay and then back at her siblings ended up in her next words as she pointed at them quickly the very action accusatory; "I swear...those cereal bars are drugged."   
  
  


**Disclaimers**; Oh for the love of Pete, ...see the others   


**Noties**; 

(Hey it sounded cuter than the blank oh hey oh here's a 'note'. I know it makes no sense and probably doesn't exist but since when were any of my words found to exist or make sense huh. Yup even I despair of myself sometimes oh thankeeeeee for reviewing **Leia **it was really appreciated (very much so especially the cool plushie and voodoo doll.) Ah, **Chantelle**...past deeds are forgiven. For a beta/proof reader...one could do worse Chaz. *kidding...I'm kidding sheesh!* ^____^   
**Juu52 **thank you for reviewing too...you're sweet...(probably wrong...but sweet nonetheless.) (**Everyone else cruising in**) Apologies beforehand for spelling mistakes, having taken awhile and such like and I hope the whole thing turned out okay. Oh yeah...last diary entry you'll be seeing guys (I bet people will be singing songs for that tiny fact...meanies...I thought you liked em. ^__^).   
  
  
  


**Chapter 7**; Revelations and...possessions? 

**Diary entry**;   
  
After all this time, and it does seem like forever but it's probably not really that long...could have been longer, I've done it. Yet I can't still believe it...even if I should really. It's just the significance. It's like being given a second chance to start all over again. The fact that it was the same position I held before the 'incident' doesn't matter really. I don't care. I may not get called to ever go to earth or anything but at least I'll be among the second choices, if say anything went wrong and reinforcements were needed. Then again things rarely go wrong. Strange...only the day before I was actually told that such a thing did happen. I wonder if I would proberbly be with them by now. They left a while ago. Some of the others say the planet is strangely quiet somehow now. Everyone's hiding, though they don't seem to know...as at the time anyway that they can be found still. Scouters can make a job easier and yet they could also be considered by the humans as evil little devices. I want to see the place. Call it what you would I just do. Now there would be more of a chance for that. I had waited a time before and I could wait again. Maybe... ...I can hear her...but I can't sense her, I thought I was good at that, seems Phebes is better at it then...but I know she's not far away...I could just so easily walk in there and tell her everything. Just open my mouth and blurt it all out. Things hold me back though and they are more than enough to chase that idea out of my head...I won't let myself, not because I feel it is the 'right' thing to do but rather because it 'has' to be done. I wanted to keep her safe right from the beginning, for her , granted with somewhat of an ulterior motive but too many people lost things. I started out to keep her from people like me and that is what I am going to continue doing as far as I can... yet I am worse than the others, I am the only one out of them that could end up getting her killed. I suppose I've done a whole lot of things wrong when I meant to do them right...and it surprises even me.   
  


----------------------------------------- 

And your heart's left in doubt   
Don't give up on your faith… 

----------------------------------------- 

  


Zahi sighed as he sat back closing his eyes for a second before opening them again a slight smile touching his face as he flipped the pen and caught it rising soon after that. He sighed again but it was a happy sigh. Somehow he always felt better after writing everything down...less worried and bogged down. It may not solve anything but at least he knew what it was that needed solving after tangling it all out. 

Another day and it was going to be different, it was going to be a first day spent yet another rung higher on that proverbial ladder. Sure it was the same position he'd had before everything had gone haywire back then but he'd had to go through a lot to re-earn it and that wasn't to be sniffed at. He felt he should be proud. He placed the pen back on the table as he reached for the book and went about returning it to it's hiding place only briefly glancing at the other two more weathered looking ones that lay there. He knew exactly what each held without having to look through them, each were different in contents for one held the dreams an aspirations of what he now realised was a very naive little boy and the other held just how much of those things were shattered and replaced with reality if only that bit too late. 

He placed the one he was holding a different colour to the others and definitely newer on top of the others. 'And now the more recent...the salvaging attempts. A Saiyan with a diary...It was laughable really, he thought with a small smile teeth closing over his lower lip. 

Juuhachigou opened the door, instinctively doing so in answer to the bell. She avoided answering doors usually she couldn't care less who was at it anyway and 'he' seemed to do it all the time but this time she was the nearest. It was almost an 'oh-I-might-as-well' reflex. However she soon regretted it once it was open for it was the same time as she recognised who it was that was out there without having seen him yet. Dark and familiar hated eyes met hers and the instant glare she gave him more than silently and befittingly replaced the distasteful '_you'_ she could have said. She turned to walk away, Zahi could well handle his own walking problems, but a hand snaked out clamping round her arm tightly and with amazing speed. 

"Don't you _dare_ walk away from me." Came the hissed voice. 

She said nothing in answer but it was a dangerous silence, her intense dislike of him let alone him touching her at all pushing at being the last straw to break the camel's back especially when even with the tug she gave he wasn't letting her go. "_Get.Off.Me_." she pushed through clenched teeth. 

"I see you still haven't learnt much about who your betters are." 

A sliver of a brow rose derisively "you?" 

There was an undertone of mockery in the way she said it and he picked up on it easily and immediately his gaze darkening dangerously. A mixture of wild fire and amazingly stoked anger. She just glared him right back down. The atmosphere practically crackled. 

"Phebes." 

They both looked towards the owner of the voice. Zahi stood there with an unreadable expression on his face his gaze ignoring her but clamping instead on Phebes with such an intensity it would almost seem they were arguing without actual words. 

"Leave her alone." He said finally. His voice however wasn't as unreadable as his expression had been though. It held faint exasperation tinged with something like tense worry and though it seemed to hide something else that was almost barely there. Being used to having Zahi's compliance however Phebes picked up on what it like a hawk. It was that annoying 'mother hen' thing that Zahi had albeit be the same thing that he himself had relied on many a time but hey if Zahi was willing to keep putting his neck out for him what should he care especially if it got him out of trouble but now he'd somehow seemed to have extended it to this piece of filth. He practically bristled his features darkening even more if that was possible. 

A smile suddenly made its way across his face. Smug, malicious and self satisfied. "We have to talk." He said simply to Zahi leaving no doubt as to who and what was going to be the topic of this 'talk' as he let go. 

"O-okay." Zahi answered somewhat left lagging behind the sudden change wondering slightly what it could be that Phebes was smiling at. He only smiled like that or should the phrase be 'smirked like that', when he had something up his sleeve. 

"What are you doing here?" he asked once they'd entered the sitting room unable to wait any longer. 

"Don't I feel welcome." Phebes said sarcastically at the wary look Zahi fixed him with. Zahi stared at him awhile but when he wasn't forthcoming he sighed. 

"I'm sorry." He apologised stepping aside to let him in further but his gaze never left him not even for a second. He continued "But what do you expect…you never come with anything other than bad news." 

"What?!" Phebes said indignantly then after a quick mental recollection he said nothing more. Zahi suddenly stopped the thought hitting him right out of nowhere. "You told him." He said an accusing tone to his voice. He'd thought he wouldn't. After not hearing a single word on the matter and after such a while he'd thought...well he'd actually believed he wouldn't be getting this kind of news. 

"I did not!" Phebes said sharply a frown forming at the questioning of his integrity even if he knew he wasn't the most trustworthy person around how dare anyone actually suggest such to his face and think he would sit back and accept it. "I said I wouldn't and I didn't _but_ I'm not here to argue, I'm just here to get her." 

"But..." Zahi began "Did he actually ask _specifically_ for _her_?" 

"Yes." was the smirked reply. 

It was a brief frustrated lost look that sat on his face before anger coloured it "You had _something_ to do with this Phebes, I know you did…you hate her, that much is visible." he bit off accusingly. 

Phebes rolled his eyes a clear show of indifference and irritation all rolled into one "No, I won't say she ranks very favorably with me and I don't particularly give a damn about what happens to her but what I do care about is me. We had an agreement and don't you dare try and back out of it. You know exactly what will happen if I go back empty handed." 

"Like you don't deserve it." Zahi bit back scathingly his voice angrily low. The look on Phebes' face at that wasn't adequately described with just the word 'dangerous'. "Wait..." He said quickly as Phebes made to push him aside his intent no doubt to go in and drag her out himself. "You can change his mind can't you...and don't say you can't because that would be a lie what with all those half baked plans you come up with... if you really wanted to you would talk him out of it." 

For a moment it looked like he was going argue with Zahi's very insinuation that his plans were 'half baked' but instead he said "and why would I want to do that?" 

"because...because you'd have no problem finding another blonde haired human. The prince wouldn't notice one from the next. I mean he hasn't even seen her." he said an almost indistinguishable hint of hopefulness to his voice. 

"It has nothing to do with the prince anymore Zahi, it's the king…" he said with an almost sadistic smile. "Seems like your little slave girl has caught his eye." 

...of course much to my benefit as well, he thought silently. 

"but…but how did _he_ know--?!" Zahi spluttered confused. 

"He saw her how else?…and I didn't have anything to do with that either!" Phebes retorted at the look Zahi threw him. 

Well there went the 'another blonde theory'. "it's impossible to change his mind..." he ventured unsure of whether he was actually asking or just stating the obvious. 

Phebes' gaze suddenly narrowed suspiciously his keen gaze zeroing in on every single emotion that filtered across his face. "She that good?" he leered suddenly making Zahi look at him questioningly confused for a second his preoccupation causing the words to sink in slower than they would have. However one look at those lewd features and instantly knew what he was getting at. His brows drew together in anger 

"I told you before it's not like..." he began reflexively defensive before skirting to a stop face suddenly blank upon the realisation of where this could end up. With questions 'why' and proddings that he would prefer to avoid. 

"I mean, " Phebes said slowlyhis tone as if nothing was amiss despite having notice the almost sharp halt "...why else would you want to keep her so badly…she must be one of two things...damn good..." 

A lack of a reply made him continue 

"...or someone you have feelings for." 

"That's stupid. That's just ridiculous!" he bit off. 

Phebes' expression was one of fleeting fearful anger and whether it was at the fact that Zahi had just had the balls to insult him to his face by implying he was being stupid wasn't very clear but it soon became a more gentle kind of anger almost like a cloak had fallen over it and yet not quite doing a very good job of it for it looked more scary than the former anger because it was so unreal. It was rather like being stuck against a wall separated from a blazing fire by a single _wooden_ door. You knew exactly what was behind it and you knew well enough that the door was no protection at all even if it seemed on the face of it to be. 

"it _is_ stupid… because that would be the most idiotic thing you could ever do…remember what she is...forget and find yourself with a lot of enemies..." It was the dangerous undertone that made Zahi look at him. It didn't need to be said to know that those 'enemies' would include the man before him if he dared confess as much. He said nothing for to have said anything else would've have been to take the risk of dropping some kind of verbal proof. One which Phebes suddenly seemed to be in pursuit of like a wolf on the hunt. 

"...and she would no doubt have you to thank for her death. I mean...you can't ever 'care' too much can you. It's dangerous...but then again you know that well enough." Phebes finished. Zahi's gaze narrowed. He wouldn't.   


"Are you blackmailing me?" 

Phebes adopted a hurt look "Tsk...such a dark word 'blackmail' lets just call it an understanding. A game you adopted yourself when you wanted your own way." he said voice syrupy.   


"The end of the week." Was the only thing Zahi said instead. "He won't want to see her straight away." 

"Now." Phebes said simply gaze hard almost boring holes into the man before him. 

"But she's only going to have to end up waiting in the cells again...she could just wait here instead--" 

"Are you deaf or something?" Phebes asked quietly "I said now. I'll send a guard over to get her. You've made me late." His tone suggested no argument and Zahi knew that to insist beyond this wouldn't be advisable but he also knew there was no reason for her to have to go right now and it was more to do with Phebes' seeming enjoyment in making her life a misery. 

"Why are you doing this..." Zahi bit off voice angrily low as if suddenly he didn't want anyone else to hear him. 

Phebes scoffed lightly "I'm doing nothing more than I've been told to..." he grinning widely "Don't worry..." he said suddenly voice offering a false kind of comfort "…If you feel you're going to miss her attentions there's a whole bunch more to choose from each mainly the same as the next…heck I'll even buy it for you if you want it so bad and it could have blonde hair too" He said as he walked off ignoring the angry growl Zahi issued in high offence. 

"Oh and congratulations on the attainment of your job..." he flung over his shoulder. "...again." 

He said nothing as he watched the man leave more because he didn't trust what he would say if he did.   
He suddenly spotted movement somewhere to his side and he turned to find blue eyes regarding him coldly and the first thing that hit him was the question of how long exactly had she been there? He said the first thing that came out and it was on the assumption that she'd heard more than a substantial amount to understand what was going on.. "I'm sorry." 

He was unable to read what was going on behind her expressionless face. He was going on what he thought she would be thinking. He was in a way glad that he didn't have to tell her where she'd be going...it was pretty obvious but he was deliberating on whether he was assuming too much. Maybe she'd only just appeared which would mean she hadn't heard a thing. He felt he should offer some explanation as to his inability to do a thing. But before he could sort that jumble of thoughts out to actually say something she wasn't there anymore. By the time he'd looked up she'd gone and he wondered how it was she could do that.   
  
  


********************** 

  
  
  
  


Bulma looked up at the walls without really seeing them at all and for the first time in a while it wasn't plans on getting her own back on a certain royal pain that was the main focus of the day. In fact she'd kept smiling and he'd no doubt noticed it by now but she couldn't care less and that was what he'd noticed even more and had kept fixing her with a questioning glance that in itself held blatant curiosity but she knew he would never condescend to ask, so that solved the problem of her never telling him anyway. This time is was something that surpassed that. It had come about more so now and with a certain surity after she'd finally got time to study closely the weapon she'd found...or rather walked within an inch of her life to take. 

Her father had been brought to this planet...he was either still here or...wasn't. This she was more sure of than anything else because she really wanted to believe it _and _because she was sure so much so she would bet her life on it that she was right. She'd come across the one thing that had told her as much as she'd taken the weapon apart. Sure she'd managed to make some modifications with the crude things she'd been able to come across but by far the best thing of the day was finding that one single clue that seemed to prove beyond any doubt that he was at sometime here on this planet and hopefully still here. 

To someone else it might seem like such a tiny thing to base so much faith on and she would have no doubt agreed with them if it wasn't for the tiny fact that this was her 'father' and in this case where she did know his habits, 'they' didn't. 

It hadn't just been the simple things that after years of sitting along side him and working with him that she'd picked up on and noticed clearly like just the simple way he preferred using one thing as opposed to the other. It was the one other thing he seemed to do a lot. Something that no matter if she went senile she would definitely remember with a conviction. 

An insignia. 

A symbol it could be said. It could be whatever you chose to call it. 

Something she was so familiar with...just a single letter really. 

A bold letter that for all intents and purposes was a 'C' even though both ends very nearly touched surrounded by a circle. 

It could have well meant copyright, she knew that much but seriously...'copyright', she was hardly on earth here and she seriously doubted that this race bothered themselves with things like that. Besides it was the way and manner in which it was placed there that had convinced her. He was here...he must have been alive for it was more than possible he'd designed the weapon or this version of it and that's what made it even easier to work with. She knew most of his methods and it had been about as hard as skipping through a field of flowers but it had been done with a happy jaunt at the new found knowledge that he could still be alive and just somewhere...proberbly so close she'd all but passed him by. All she had to do was find him.   
Easier said than done...but when did that ever stop her.   
  
  


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"I sure hope we don't get anymore children...There aren't anymore children on the planet, right?" Yamucha asked looking over at the pigtailed woman ushering the ringlet haired girl over to her mother. She looked up at him with a questioning look as if to question whether he thought her god. 

"How exactly am I supposed to know that..." she snapped "if there are anymore cases like that..." she pointed over to a woman cradling a baby girl in her arms. 

The baby wasn't the surprising thing...it was the tail that protruded from its lower back. "caused by Saiyan men who can't keep their hands to themselves...then I don't know. Maybe we'll get more." Angela finished with an almost scarcastic edge to her tone fixing him a gaze that bespoke of her jaded view of all men except one. It was all too easy to see she wasn't just referring to Saiyan men at all and even more so that she had a bee in her bonnet about something else. 

Yamucha looked over at the woman. Her story was usually a rare one, the rarity wasn't in the fact of a human actually having a child of a Saiyan. The rarity lay in the fact that the mother and moreso the child was still alive and even more surprising was the fact that 'both' had managed to escape. He didn't have anything against children the thing was it was difficult to handle them when it came to getting off the planet. The people needed to be silent and children were prone to unexpected sounds and constant fidgeting. They didn't stay quiet and that could jeopardize the lives of others. 

There was a clear tension in the air and it was heavy. Every time they did this there was that looming fear in the background...that this time they just might be caught...that this time they would be found out. It was so easy to go wrong. His breathing had increased in the past few minutes as it came nearer to the time...or was he just being affected by the unspoken fears of others. No trip was taken for granted though that was for sure. 

He felt the slight touch and almost skyrocketed. The culprit fixed him with an apologetic smile before reassuming the worried look. "Puar...?" he said questioningly prompting the blue creature to start talking instantly assuming the worry reflected in those eyes to be for something other than who it was actually meant for. 

"Are you okay Lord Yamucha?" 

"Yes." he said feeling silly for worrying at all even giving a smile. Apparently satisfied Puar said nothing else but certainly didn't leave his side. 

Stow away trips, squashed into small spaces they were virtually taking their very lives in their hands and yet each time it was seemingly worth the piled up risks for them. He could understand it, for hadn't he been willing to take this same trip all that while ago. Some people felt it was worth it and others were willing to just stay right where they were. Yet there was one rule they'd stuck by till now and that was to only ever take the ones that made it far enough, the ones that actually escaped. Sometimes it didn't go quite to plan as it had been just awhile ago. They would never usually kill any one but they would if it seemed they were coming too close to finding out where they were hidden and those guards had practically been on top of them. Also they wouldn't stand around and allow anyone of the escaping slaves just be brutally killed on their own turf. It would be like sitting back and watching a murder without doing a thing about it. The good thing was it had only happened a few times and that had been over a long period considering. 

He watched as Angela moved over to the woman with the child and handed her a package holding a quick conversation before moving on to the other people. 

Angel. 

That girl was nothing of the kind. She may be young...she may be a scientific geek in that all things scientific was her life and she may even strike you as an endearingly cute and giggly female but that was all when you'd only just met her, it was all when you hadn't seen her fight. It was when you hadn't seen her hot headedly mad. Positively evil was what she was and he'd learnt the hard way right after getting a pummeling all that time ago when he'd first run across her. She wasn't strong that didn't make her dangerous in the slightest. It was more her craftiness, speed and her ability to turn strength into a disadvantage. It had taken him a lot of landings on his tush to realize what she was doing and after that she'd been the one on _her_ tush. Again you could almost never figure out what she was thinking until it was thought and then you'd only have a split second to react and she didn't spare two thoughts worrying over whether or not to use low down dirty tricks to win either and it included the 'I'm just a weak female' ruse as well. 

He looked around again. In all there were only seven people if you didn't count the child. It had raised an issue beforehand but the woman had been sure the child wouldn't make a sound. It wasn't the largest number they'd had but this many were still a rare thing and having to wait for the right moments meant they would have to stay awhile with them. The couple that they'd brought in towards the end seemed to have gotten over the initial fright and had obviously grown closer. It was obvious from the way they kept holding hands and smiling at each other...for no apparent reason sometimes. 

It was annoying...but only because it made him think about Bulma. Jealousy was horrible and having loss added to it just bites all-round. It seemed like forever now. Sure he'd been having cold feet about her desire to get married and he hadn't been too sure...heck who was he kidding, he hadn't been sure period, that wasn't a crime, but he hadn't wanted to end up being taken away from her. That was the last thing he'd wanted and he'd had more than enough time to realize that with an unshakable conviction. 

He looked over as Juunanagou entered his gaze sweeping the place in less than a second. That guy had an agenda of his own and what it was exactly Yamucha wasn't too sure but as predicted Puar clung to him terrified of the dark haired boy that had pulled one too many nasty tricks on her. If it hadn't been for her ability to change form she probably wouldn't be here with him now. 

"Okay...we're moving." came the a new voice as a man entered. Yamucha turned to him noticing in a single glance that someone was missing. His gaze took in the new person suspiciously as he smiled giving the people a mini introduction of himself as being 'Monty'. Having never trusted the man no matter how many times he heard his name it still struck him as being an untrustworthy name. Who in the world...universe, was called '_Monty_' nowadays. Besides one just had to take a look at the person to whom the name belonged. Unshaven, pony tailed, un caringly dressed and twirling a cocktail stick round his mouth, an annoying habit he had. He looked like something out of a John Wayne movie right down to how he talked. 

"Where's Dr Briefs?" he asked looking at Yamucha fleetingly his gaze doing the once over on an unsuspecting Angel however she chose that time to bend down unknowingly giving him eyeful of a round pert bottom which had an unfortunate effect on him since he lost co-ordination of the cocktail stick and inadvertently ended up skewering his tongue. His reaction was evident pain though he tried to mask it well and he had to be given that much even though his eyes went red with unshead tears. Suffice it to say he wouldn't be talking for a while as he gingerly removed the cocktail stick and returned the offending item to his shirt pocket.. 

"Right here." another voice picked up as its owner entered a few seconds later, almost jauntily trailing off the checklists and what was to be done. "It's okay. It's all set. The ships are there and it will be virtually undetected. They just have to be led there Juunana's going to go along with them. Angel's going too." he said in his calm rational voice that seemed to have got them through many an upset just as Angela reappeared having left earlier, now disposed of her googles to be replaced by a headband that conveniently held back her wayward curl and now in white boots as opposed to the almost ballerina type slipper shoes she'd had on before.   


Now that was the 'evil' Angel the giggly cute exterior was still there and anyone would be forgiven for thinking she was only going to end up getting in the way but he knew better. She flashed Briefs a bright smile of acknowledgement just before they all left. It was a thing she always seemed to do before she left. He'd gathered that having seen it long enough and the assumption was it was her silent way of not to worry she would be fine. Briefs gave an gentle nod smiling as she left before turning to Yamucha. 

"...I need your help that's why I didn't send you with them." he said almost quietly before Yamucha could say anything as the people left. He looked at the man he followed into the next room which the word 'lab' would fit even if it was not up to the standards a laboratory would be held at. Yet the man seemed to be able to make the best out of everything. 

"How do we know we can trust him." Yamucha asked. Monty knew too much and he wasn't sure he trusted him wholeheartedly even if he was good at what he did. It was just that compared to the rest of them Monty was a stranger. He had no ties to any of them. Angel would never sell them out for she cared about Briefs. _He_ wouldn't...well because he wouldn't...and because he was in a way tied to Briefs too. Juunana wouldn't for beyond that facade there was a reason he seemed to need them albeit unknown to him right now but he knew it hadn't been accomplished yet and till then they were okay. Monty however was tied to none of them. Sure he talked a lot with them all and reported almost always to Briefs but still...no tie. What would stop him from selling them out. 

Thing was he knew very little, even if he was supposed to be one of this impromptu group. He was never told of the details. Who helped, where the ships came from but it was clear that Dr Briefs knew but he never told him. He never told anyone come to think of it. He supposed he should be satisfied that they had that kind of help but it did feel like being kept in the dark about something so important. 

When he'd run into his father in law to have been he couldn't believe it. It was near nigh impossible to have predicted it but when they'd found a way of getting off the planet they'd hit something big. It had then arose 'what if they could help others?' a question raised by a sharp spoken strawberry brown haired girl that'd hung after Dr Briefs like his personal bodyguard or such equivalent (and yet in a way she was aside from her humongous crush on him which Briefs either didn't see or was just nice about since he treated her like a daughter.). He on the other hand hadn't wanted to stay on the planet a second longer. He'd wanted to leave, he'd been close to doing so too but then he wasn't about to insist on going when everyone else had agreed to stay and were going to whatever he decided. 

His staying hadn't been based on wanting to be a hero or due to some selfless quality he had...far from it. The reason was a little bit disappointing when compared to the ones of everyone else. It had just been a case of 'if you're staying I might as well stay least I look like a self thinking and cowardly prat'. 

He smiled to himself as he took a seat. He'd named them. He'd decided a cool group like theirs should have a name that held some 'umph' to it and hey, he was good at 'umph' why when he and Puar were on earth people shuddered at the sound of his name. He felt he hadn't done too bad besides. He might as well have that...and soon after he realised he made the right decision in staying in the end even if his initial motives for doing so hadn't been so great.   


*******************

  
  
  


He looked briefly at the girl that refused to look at him at all preferring to believe he didn't exist. Whether or not she ignored him didn't ultimately matter he figured. He didn't really care either way but for some reason he somehow wanted a reaction. Others would have had 'some' kind of reaction by now. She on the other hand just sat there staring defiantly ahead of her as if nothing else existed. She'd been staring so long he was actually wondering how long she could keep it up and to make matters worse it was making him edgy...edgy just waiting on a response...an action, just for her to move her finger, some indication and yet it was supposed to be the other way round. After two days he figured cracks should be showing. 

He looked up at the guard that entered carrying a food tray and his gaze practically burned holes through the man and he quietly and quickly left the tray on the floor steps away from him exiting in the space of time it took to inhale. Phebes didn't say anything but he had specifically ordered that no food be brought all of those two days ago. She wasn't showing any signs of being hungry in the slightest. So that didn't seem to be working.   


However he suddenly didn't mind the mistake as much now for the smell albeit slop might remind her that she was hungry. She didn't look up at him or even at the food that he used his feet to push towards the bars. This cell was different from the others it was stark and white he supposed it was so there couldn't be any nasty surprises. and the only exit as with any cell was the one he was standing at which the almost invisible bars kept the person within secure. The bars weren't deadly, to anyone or anything else for anything could get in and out of the cell only she couldn't. Though it could be made to keep persons out. 

He looked round briefly at the other three similar cells and their occupants. They were as silent as she was but unlike her they seemed about ready to give up totally. None of them were going anywhere as long as they had that similar band round their necks and ankles both tamperproof you walked through the bars with them on and it meant instant disintegration and if you managed by some unknown way to get through one the other will automatically set off it's own alarm system and there was again a self detonation even before they had attempted to try and get it off. There wasn't a chance to replace the former cause it wouldn't stop the deactivation. Till now no one had been stupid enough unless they had wanted to die and to do so they had to try and attempt the impossible. Try and get out of the straps in the first place. 

True they only kept the dangerous prisoners and those people weren't willing to take the chance with, locked up so but she was important too. He wanted her going nowhere. His former plans may have been foiled but this time it might turn out not to be a total waste...just changed slightly especially since this time he actually had help. It seemed then that he wasn't the only unhappy one. It was like being handed another chance. This could be it. This time it could be over possibly without him even being involved. However he might be able to kill two birds with one stone. Besides if it worked it would mean there was one less person to worry about and everything might be achieved a lot quicker. 

"You know, if you ask nicely enough you could actually have it." he said. 

She looked at him then, her cat-like eyes seeming to mock him seeing well enough through him and knowing full well that even if she did ask for it he wouldn't give it to her anyway. "If I wanted it you'd know...because of where I would shove it." 

What got his blood boiling was the fact that she dared talk to him like he was supposed to be the lowest thing here and in front of the other prisoners who were looking with some intrest at them. She was supposed to be cracking at the seams not making wise cracks with a bald faced cheek that he was not going to just let pass. He stormed in somewhat amazed at how easily incensed she could get him and his hand clamped round the neck of her dress yanking her to her feet with such an angry speed that almost indecently exposed peachy white legs had to grapple a bit to attain what balance they could bare feet stumbling as they stepped on his owned shoed feet in its effort to achieve it's goal. She dangled an inch from the bars. Ones that she could faintly see but hear even more now she was this close to them. A humming sound that almost wasn't there but made hairs stand on end with the knowledge of something almost being there. He just had to let her go and she would fall back completely and right through. That much was clear even without the shocked gasps from the other cells. She knew what would happen for he'd told her many enough times. 

"I could just drop you. You rely on my mercy more than you know." 

She smiled at that one. It was more of a defiant smirk as if challenging him to go ahead and do so only without any uttered words just her eyes, when they did look up at him, were amazingly devoid of fear, no what he saw instead was something like a silent promise as if she were simply biding her time waiting for something. She made no effort to retaliate or anything and yet he knew beneeth that calm exterior there was a strength she was hiding, he'd found that awhile ago and now and it was what he was going to use it to his advantage though he seriously doubted she knew to what extent he was well aware of it. 

"You'll get exactly what you deserve soon. Then we'll see who'll be laughing." he said pushing her back over to the corner where she simply resumed her seat the unphazed calmness in which she did it makeing him unreasonably angry. She wouldn't be looking so smug when she came up against the king and if all went accordingly then with the preferred outcome she'd be dead and so would another.   
  
  


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Chichi hummed to herself as she prepared dinner. It was really at times like this that she felt no one could tell her what to do because they were more than willing to let her go crazy in the kitchen. Being also the only one in the place that could actually do something with it all. She could decide whatever it was that they were going to have for breakfast lunch or dinner and every time they were happy with it; no complaints whatsoever and most especially she noticed Goku more than enjoyed her cooking. True it would be hard to know if he did or not what with his tendency to shovel down almost anything yet when he kept saying so almost after every mouth full it would be safe to assume he meant it. She smiled to herself as she continued with the tasks at hand and it was a big one that she'd finished but needed to add the finishing touches. 

So intent on her task she didn't notice her silent visitor or the eyes that traveled down long bare legs that tapered into gentle ankles and the daintiest feet. Over small hands that moved with an almost creative finesse and some what of an inbred proficiency of what to use and how to use it. Every now and then dark tresses danced across her back and over her shoulders sometimes briefly giving off glimpses of her profile clearly intent on what she was doing. She rose with a satisfied smile and turned her intention to a spoon only to come to an abrupt and startled stop at finding the man lounging in the doorway dark spiky hair falling to his waist his build in itself terrifying even if he was built like his brother. There was built and 'fearful' and then there was the version that had 'kind' attached...much easier for her to deal with. She had the distinct feeling he'd been there a while and he'd been watching her and she wished that the one time she'd decided to bend down, earlier , she had done it a bit more gracefully. She looked at him expecting him to say something as she had never, with no obvious need to, spoken to Goku's brother before unless answering a direct question which was very rare fromhim. He barked simple orders and people flew. 

The slight smile she could swear was on his face was more than a little unnerving too. She could figure out if he was trying to smile or if he was just smirking. She hoped to God it wasn't the former. She decided to ask. 

"did you need me?" she asked 

He left the doorway approaching her making her step back in surprise and mounting fear. She was even more surprised when she found herself against the counter but he was still barely inches from her. Her voice died in her throat as he spoke. "Yes." 

'For what' would have been the next good question to ask but she didn't need to. The whole atmosphere screamed it, _she_ was screaming it, the way he was _looking_ at her was trumpeting it. There was no doubt as to what he meant.   


"I-I-Goku" she ended up squawking. What she'd wanted to say was that she wasn't a house slave she belonged to Goku and belonging to him was a very good thing at the moment because he wouldn't look at her like a raw piece of meat with legs attached…he just wouldn't and that was that. She gasped as she felt his fingers sink into her hair and grasp a tight handful of black strands. What she wanted to do was to ask him to leave her alone as nicely as possible but the way he'd angled her head she wasn't quite sure she could get it past her throat. 

He was going to kiss her. _He was actually going to well go ahead and do it_. The disgust that she couldn't quite get out in words was well enough reflected in the look on her face. 

"Chichi have you seen Krillin cause--What are you doing." Came the new voice she instantly recognized and gave a sigh of relief. Goku. Yet she wasn't the only one that recognised him. 

"Go away…" was the given reply said simply in a 'you're-disturbing-me' tone. 

"Leave her alone--" he began 

"Do you _mind_?" Raditz said glaringly. Chichi attempted to use that distraction to escape but Raditz caught her pushing her back against the counter with more force than she was used to but to, before turning to face a very angry Goku who looked livid and had it jumped up a notch with the sound of pain that escaped her as her waist slammed into the edge of the counter. 

A fist slammed into the perpetrators face just a split second after and Raditz could only look back at his brother in stunned silence as if trying to come to understand his very gall. To hit him but not just that but to actually hit him over a slave...even more so where he never had before for where he would have simply annoyed him to the point of loosing intrest he'd actually just hit him. That just couldn't be allowed to slip by unanswered. 

He growled angrily the only indication Goku got before his brother's own fist landed squared in his face sending him reeling backwards sufficiently erradicating the second of of stunned silence that had flitered across his face at his own actions though not regreting them at all. 

"You stupid fool!" Raditz practically roared at his glaring brother that had an unbreakable look of defiance on his face. A definate silent sign that he was not about to give up on this one and if it damn well meant a fight so be it. He picked himself up almost instantly. Raditz though was much too livid to recognise it, and he would have having seen it a few occasions before. "How dare you hit me...and in front of and over a stupid slave. She's a slave woman and I can do what I like!" he said the last part of his sentence sounding like he knew that with a conviction and his brother was the one in the wrong. 

" ...and she belongs to me!" Goku bit back, brows heavy with darkening anger as he blocked another blow aimed for his head, and one definately meant to hurt, and practically flipped his brother to the side when he came at him again. Raditz ended up against the nearby wall cracks making their ways in different directions as they spread out behind him.. "while she does you're staying away from her." Chichi's hand went to her mouth as she watched the display. Now if the shorter haired Saiyan currently fighting over her had had the time to sufficently explain it properly his sentence would have gone something like 'she isn't your slave and that means you haven't any right to touch her at all so you _will_ stay away from her' but trying to fend off blows from a very offended Saiyan and speaking at the same time weren't meant to go very well together and hence his inevitable 'she belongs to me' speech which ended up making ChiChi's blood boil in anger.   


The very fact that they were fighting and claiming some kind of hold over her was enough to make her more than a litle angry and frankly she did not quite care to be owned by either of them right now not even her so called 'saviour'. It was like she was merely some sort of cattle. Even more so now than before and it was the most infruiratingly degrading thing possible. 

The brawl seemed to be spreading as Raditz's large hands closed round his younger brother's neck pushing him backwards as they crashed into the living room. "You want a fight brother…you chose the wrong person to pick it with but you've got it!" 

The house! was her first disbeliving mental gasp. 

Goku flung him off rising. This time it was not going to happen again and especially not to Chichi. The last mistake was more than just an eye opener and almost getting into trouble over actually letting the girl escape when Raditz wouldn't actually admit that he was more than responsible for her state of affairs was bad enough. 

She could only stare as they went for each other again. How dare they fight over her like she was some kind of commodity no better than a chair or a book, she was a living being...how dare they act as if she wasn't there...how DARE they! To make matters worse if they didn't stop there would be no house left! What was she supposed to say when the owner of the house returned to find an absence of a house? it would no doubt all boil down to her, what with being the slave and everything she would get the blame. How dare they actually even attempt to put her in such a situation. Of all people Goku ought to know better and that outraged her even more than everything else. He was absolutely no better than the rest of them where she had thought he was. Her breathing indicated the rising of her anger and it suddenly blew without warning and she was done. That was all she was taking.   


"ALRIGHT THAT'S _IT_! THE **_PAIR_** OF YOU WILL STOP THIS RIGHT NOW!!!" She roared slamming her foot on the floor a demanding gesture that ordered she be listened to. They looked up from their death grips on each other. Having the ability to stop a riot dead on with her voice it certainly came in handy now as all they could do was stare at her their expressions halfway between that of admonished children and bewilderment as they wondered what exactly was wrong about this scene as they beheld that fiery gaze. 

Right now, she was blindingly angry. "Why I am utterly _disgusted_!" she spat her sneer actually proving she was. 

She suddenly had the attention of the whole room and if a pin had dropped it would have been heard. It also sufficed to actually bring her anger down a notch and make her realise what she'd just done and she couldn't quite believe it. Yet she pushed down her own surprise at her reaction and how it could get her into a whole range of trouble and continued before any of them could get over their own surprise and realise what she had just. 

"You will both stop fighting and sit down at that table or that food is out in a heartbeat!" she said shrilly, hand on hip pointing towards what was left of the eating table now paralyzed as a result of their attentions. Her burning gaze left no reasoning space for any argument whatsoever.   


Much to her surprise they actually did too and she felt she should attibute it to the smell coming from the kitchen now as it seemed it was ready. She'd been expecting quite the opposite outcome. She'd expected to be finished there and then and as she turned and walked into the kitchen her trembling fingers attested to the truth of that. She'd turned away long before the terrified expression showed on her face. They wouldn't have heard either the almost frantic pounding of her heart. 

She really hoped she wouldn't be made to pay for what she'd just done.   
  
  


**************************** 

  


Seripa glanced at Bardock gaze wide as they took in the semi destruction in the house and the dark haired woman hurrying round to get everything fixed. She looked up sharply as they entered looking a lot like a deer caught in the headlights of a car and she seemed to be waiting on what would be said next as she visibly swallowed. Seripa simply looked at Bardock who was taking in his semi demolished home before looking at the guilty looking girl as if reasons were taped to her head. 

The girl's mouth moved a few times but nothing came out until the last try wherein it was squeakily sharp. "I'll have this fixed soon..." then she glanced over at the wall to her side looking back just as quickly as if realising that she had no way to fix a wall and yet realising at the same time that she might have drawn his attention to it even if the very idea that he wouldn't notice it in the first place was a ridiculous one. 

Seripa took one look at the mess, the girl, the huge hole in the wall in which she could see the sibblings at the table (or rather what was left of the legless table balanced on their laps) and practically feel the heavy silence above them as they glared at each other in almost every pause between mouthfuls of food and mentally came to a conclusion of what must have happened almost instantly. 

"I have a pretty good idea of what happened here." she said folding her arms and nodding gently in a wise manner a smug smile that had 'told you so' even as she managed to keep a serious look. ChiChi's gaze flew to the woman grinning up at Bardock with a silently satisfied look on her face and if she'd acutally said anything she would have hit eerily close to the mark but she wasn't allowed too for Bardock still remembered that conversation awhile ago and was ending this before she started on him again. 

"What happened here." he questioned and much to his annoyance he didn't get a reply. Goku said nothing. Raditz just glared at his brother's bent head. 

He groaned lightly "I expect explanations later." he said pausing for his words to sink in albeit he got no response apart from an almost innocent look from Goku and an 'I couldn't care less one way or the other' glance from Raditz as he silently continued eating taking care to avoid his swollen lip. 

************************ 

  
  
  
  


Krillin looked up as another presence became known. He turned to look over his shoulder finding ChiChi standing a few feet from him no doubt having come out thinking herself to be alone. It was there in the mild surprise on her face. A smile touched her lips even as her brow rose questioningly. "What are you doing out here?" she asked. 

He thought awhile...what was he doing anyway..."thinking." he supplied as she took a seat too. She gave a small laugh "let me guess...you're worried about someone." 

He looked at her sharply. "How did you know that." 

She grinned smugly "There are only very few things that people on this planet can have on their minds. You're either worried for yourself or someone else." 

Yes, he supposed he was worried...and _had_ been worried. It would explain the, till now, inexplicable shadow looming after him for awhile now. Like somehow under the facade of what he was seeing daily something was lurking. It was almost like a bad feeling but one that didn't explain itself and till now he hadn't been able to put a finger on it till now. More so after what Goku had told him he was rightly worried. Now if Goku had seen no way out of it...what could he do? Where he couldn't do anything previously he could do less where the king was suddenly involved. The frown of concentration that had been on his friend's face more than told him he couldn't do anything before he even knew he couldn't and not even the desire to was worth a thing. If nothing else she was his friend and...well...he just had to be able to do something. 

The details had been sketchy. Goku had been told by a friend that had almost barreled into him as he'd been exiting and it had come up when he had asked why he was hurrying so. Right after getting an earful about a man named 'Phebes' and how his gaze was something devil sent. Yet how he came to know wasn't what was on Krillins mind. The main thing was she was in trouble whichever way you looked at it. His head tilted slightly in an unconsciously questioning action.   


"Chichi...have you ever heard of the bandits." he asked suddenly.   


Chichi looked a bit surprised "What brought that up?" she said but when it seemed like she wasn't going to get an answer she continued "yes...but they're a make belief heros of some sort aren't they...well at least that's what I picked up." 

"Some seem to think they aren't make believe." he said thinking back to the incident at the table when Oswald had practically jumped down Bisman's throat. The way he'd left it open ended...he felt it was more proof than anything. He hadn't outright denied their existence. 

"They have to be, because I certainly haven't seen them. You should ask Goku..." a tint of affection coloured her tone "he'll know." 

Krillin didn't say anything to that. Her answers to everything now a days seemed to revolve round Goku...he could do all where she was concerned and the funny thing was she barely realised she was doing it half the time. It made him laugh...and also pay more attention to himself when he was speaking.   


"Bulma believed it though...then again she was always coming up with one idea or the other for the perfect escape. I doubt she's given up now. So if it were true she would make it her business to know I'm sure of it." 

"I believe it." he said. 

She smiled "Yeah well...it's nice to believe in things and for some it's just not enough to grasp hold of, let alone believe in..." a far off smile touched her face again. "besides...reality isn't all bad." she said, her mind wandering and it was obvious as to who occupied her thoughts. She'd long forgiven the culprit for his claim to owning her...It was hard to stay angry at him for long and in reality she could belong to someone worse. "Hey," she said suddenly snapping out of them "she'll be fine." she said obliviously unaware as to any of the circumstances as she hadn't been told. 

His brows rose... 

"Woman's intuition. It just had to be a she." she filled with an amused grin. 

"yeah." he said politely enough though he didn't believe it. Too many things could easily go so very wrong...and she had a blunt way of handling things which didn't bode well for the approach of anything remotely 'fine'.   
  
  
  
  
  


**Notes**; (I just assumed Puar's female...sorry. Thing is I can't figure out if she is or not...I've only read the first few issues of dragonball so sue me geez...but I think she's a she...I mean she acts like a she. (man how stupid will I look if I got it wrong huh?). Oh and I naturally like the way she calls him lord yamcha what can I say...^_^) As for Chichi if you disagree that she could get them two to actually listen just check the many episodes when she's shouting. Their house has left the ground many a time. She's scary, If she was to shout at me I would 'dig' the hole that would swallow me rather than stand there and 'wish' for it. oh and again I apologize for the crappiness of the chapter and spelling mistakes and basically all mistakes. It should be perfect shouldn't it. Yes it should. I'm on a deadline here and using the library computer as well so I am so sorry.Oh and as for Goku, I suppose OOC will arise huh...sorry but he did have reasons...(and I wanted entertainment ^_____^) Oh (yeah, another 'oh') I bet none of you were suprised the diary belonged to you know who. I mean who else right? 

The next chapter may be a while (getting a lot busier, not me...the chapters...although I am busy too *huge grin* naturally) I will try sooo much not to let it take too long... I promise to try. It doesn't help that its a busy chapter either *sigh* I take these things on don't I? You know...my short writing streak just might be over soon...if there was even one in the first place. (*mumbles* jumped up little madam getting ideas above her station *wags finger admonishingly* 'tut-tut'). Oh and please review too...(it makes Aymei a happy little bunny!) **thank you** and that's also for just coming this far...cheerio! ^ __^. Oh and don't worry about it being slow, it really ain't...we're getting there. This is just chapter 7 and did I mention something happens to Vegeta too next chapter. 18 isn't just the only one with something to deal with you know and Krillin is about to walk right smack bam into a whole lot of trouble himself. Now...if I can just get enough time to start writing... 

**( here's your usual clues) Chapter eight;**

I've promised to never leave you…   
Hearts betray you but they won't _ever_ lie   
Trust isn't something asked for…it's freely given.   
and death can lie in the most beautiful of hands. 

(**A/N**) you know I do believe these are starting to get cornier by the day...^__^ 


	9. Lurking Shadows

I'm so sorry I took so long to rewrite this in some sensible form. Maybe you can read it through and note the ever so slight changes or just to reacquaint yourself with the story while I write up the next chapter? (Aymei ^__^; )

**Love comes to those who believe it  
and that's the way it is.  
When you question me for a simple answer  
I don't know what to say...**

**x x x x x**

He looked round moving silently though t he hallway. His eyes had adjusted tot he semi darkness surrounding him a while ago. The endless space of time in which he had lain awake unable to sleep. The cause of which was easily traceable...back to the conversation with Chichi knowing what to do had come easy. Knowing how to do it was what had kept him up this late. Knowing that quick action was needed and every second that ticked by was like more sand in the hourglass I what kept him in the agitated state he was in. Everyone knew that the best plans came with calm reasoning, he knew it, now if he could only do it. 

He supposed it was this failure that found him sneaking through the hallway of a house in which three Saiyans slept. No plan whatsoever in his head except the nagging 'I've got to do something' that annoying repeated itself getting more urgent every minute but not offering any kind of plan whatsoever. Surely he would have gone mad already but here he was with a most determined look on his face and feeling this was the right thing. The crazy plan that made no sense...was it possible then that he'd gone mad already then...?

He could be since he was deciding to ignore the voice underneath it all...the calm voice of reasoning screaming to be heard and just not so calm anymore.

"Krillin? What are you doing?"

It wasn't possible to jump any higher than he did at the verbal incarnation of his thoughts. A good question and for a moment it seemed good old 'calm reasoning' had found another outlet though it was one that caused him in the space of a few minutes to hit brain overload and return in survival. It was understandable...after having bottled up his fear till this point only to have the lid ripped of like that but to really fully understand you'd have to be his height. To have a Saiyan tower over you from nowhere and so unexpectedly his outline being made even more threatening by the fact that it was cloaked in shadow.

There was presently a yawn and a scratching sound as fingers moved in a head of unruly raven hair. "Ssssh!" Krillin hissed quickly his hand gesturing wildly for silence. "It's late" Goku pointed out suddenly fully awake and Krillin searched for a plausible lie. And faltered. 

"You were planning to leave." Goku said his tone mirroring the look on his face and it was in no way a ridiculous notion because that was exactly what he had been doing. Trying to anyway. His silence spoke volumes. 

"It won't work." Krillin was informed matter-of-factly.

Krillin was suddenly struck by something...another plan...or rather an extension of the former crazy plan but that didn't matter. This time is was less crazy than the its predecessor. "You could help!...with you it would work...you could be a diversion, I mean you wouldn't be out of place at all and you know the palace better than me...I can 't believe I didn't think of this before!"

"Krillin you're forgetting one thing..." Goku interrupted 

Krillin gave a stubborn almost exasperated sound that was accompanied by a shake of his head "I am going to do this..." and the look in his eyes stated more matter of factly that he would even though they still pleaded for a try. " I will never ask another favour...ever." 

But just before Goku could say anything another voice presented itself. "What the hell is going on here!" 

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

She stole a covert glance at the man who by some sort of premonition seemed to realise the exact moment she did. chichi now found herself in the awkward situation of retracting her gaze. She needed to say something now because those sole black eyes had begun to form a question. And without question it was definitely an 'Is there something...?" look.

"Why do you Elites get treated any different." That question had been something she had wondered so long ago. It was something she had forgotten too. It had had to do with the gap between the classes that had been so starkly plain not just on her arrival here but the way the classes spoke about each other and the amount of 'down' talking that tended to to on. Her first impression of these so called Elites had thus been that they were stuck up so and so's who'd had had the good fortune to be born on the right side of life. Being treated no better than cattle dung herself it was amazing how easily it was for these gaps to be noticeable where back on her little planet, now little because now it was clearly plain that the universe was inhabited, she'd never once felt such divisions.

"I'm not one." came the simple, matter-of-fact answer, his answer (but his grin mainly) interrupting the workings of her mind. The information was dispensed with such trusting openness that she was taken aback slightly. "Vegeta points it out quite often, it's just an overlooked thing."

"You're on first name basis with your king?" she asked and for a moment the fact that they were enclosed in nearby bushes, seated rather ridiculously on the ground like children in a secret den escaped her mind. Krillin however, ever nervous had his eyes fixed on the view he looked out on from his position. She rather had the idea that it must look like the bush had a pair of eyes.

"Prince." he corrected "He doesn't seem to like it though" he added his tone holding soft confusion. He was quite unable to understand why his friendship was so continually spurned by a man he considered not merely as his 'Prince' but also his 'Friend' on all counts.

"We met by mistake." he divulged suddenly intent on Chichi having espied a glint of curiosity in her eyes and merely dishing out the information she would have wondered about but never felt right asking. "Awhile ago but more recently during the incident with Frieza...My dad had this dream-"

"That was your dad?" She hadn't meant to say anything but she was unable to tie the man she knew to the man she had heard of best described as a loony. How she'd been roped into this conversation was amazing in itself.

He nodded and was about to say something when Krillin spoke up for the first time since they had left the house. "Keep talking and we'll be found for sure." he said. No one said anything at the distinctive tremble of fear in his voice. He'd been edgy ever since and literally jumped at every little thing. Chichi had actually been surprised when she had been allowed to come in exchange for her silence. To be honest she had expected them to put up more of a fight. Thing was though she had known they were planning something but not quite 'what' it was. She'd been half way through the journey to the palace grounds before she'd even been given an explanation. 

Not like she would have still stayed behind anyway. If Goku was going off to do something stupid she was going to be there whether he wanted it or not. Yet her instant thought had still been that they were both crazy. Krillin for coming up with the idea and Goku for not having the sense to talk him out of it. A few moments to think later and she couldn't help but think that girl was lucky. She'd ended up wondering if she could sit back and feel secure in the knowledge that Goku would come to her rescue no matter how crazy a situation she found herself in. Then she remembered the incident with his brother and smiled to herself. Yup, now she thought about it she wasn't angry with him at all. She secretly wouldn't have wanted it any other way either.

"Chi?" the soft call brought her back to the real world with a silly smile "hmm?"

"We're ready."

"Oh! okay."

"Are you sure this is how you want to do this." Goku asked pointlessly since he already knew Krillin's answer but still gave away the choice. Krillin not trusting himself to talk nodded.

...and inside his head reason screamed with him to see sense. It might have well been screaming out from behind sound proof windows.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

She was small as far as women went. Her size petite, coupled with one of those looks that were not striking yet not forgotten all too quickly. The girl with a ready smile that though it had waned many still knew it had existed once and as such, forgiveness to it's loss was readily given.. Much of what still made up who she was now was what she had left in memories. They were alive still because she had come to find that she had needed them wore than ever. 

Dreams that had consisted of something more than the predictable future of living, serving and inevitably dying and if you were lucky it would be quick. Yet it never quite eradicated the unavoidable trail. It shielded you from things you preferred to ignore but it changed nothing. . And she had reached her end regardless.

Looking down the sparsely illuminated corridors of the slaves section it seemed to be worlds apart from the palace on which grounds it shared save for the distance between. Almost as if it had been added only as an after thought. It struck her as funny then...the simple fact that most of the lights were off to conserve energy. The natural lighting, or what little came through the high windows seeming to be sufficient though it in many places barely graced the floor. Then again she didn't blame it, no matter how much light shone into this place she was quite sure it would not take away the drudgery or the fading hopes. She was even more sure that if it did it would never dispel the shadows. It would _never_ touch the ground.

Though silent it seemed here, it never really was. Even in the dead of night the corridors were never quite even after the cries had died down and there was nothing...there was always 'something'. Shadows danced by night but they never left by day. They could not.

To leave this place you needed to be free...unburdened. These shadows weren't. They held secrets that kept them here, festering into something much much more. Hushed sounds, shuffling shadows, each one impatient, waiting for something. Tucked away in the darkest regions where no eye was meant to fall.

Yet she'd seen them, heard them and had understood them.

For that there was a price to pay and more so for daring to give it words as she had.

She barely looked up at the two figures walking past and though she was not spared a glance she knew they were aware of her huddled presence in the dark shadows of her cell. And somehow she knew them. Her recognition not coming form anything other than the familiar 'something' that hung round them, embracing them even, slinking along after them and yet with them like a disjointed shadow. 

Something 'wrong' and yet familiar for hadn't she felt it. the one thing she'd wished she had been fortunate enough not to unravel fro its hidden place. It was something that not even the noises of the day filtering their way to her hearing could eradicate. Something that had left her in such a state that she could only now see the fading corridor through the slits of her eyes. Later al lot of things would be misjudged about her death but it didn't matter. The death of a slave was just that. A replacement could always be found. However for now the two silhouettes walked on with their hushed conversation. 

"for your sake Phebes you had better be right this time. " 

Phebes seethed silently. Of course he was right. He always was. His plans were always right and the last one was genius. If only he had been able to have foreseen the unplanned appearance of the blue haired girl that had ruined it with as much ease as wind through the trees. The approaching feet made Juuhachi look up through the strands of hair that had fallen forward due to her seated position carrying off an unimpressed and only slightly so air of curiosity. Her hair was beginning to assume new lengths now. Not quite like it had been before but almost halfway there. the longer strands in front beginning to form blond curtains. 

He lowered the shield and walked into the cell his companion remaining out of the light. Preferring to keep his features hidden from view. His hand encircled her arm forcing her to her feet--or rather trying as she remained resolutely seated. Even when he put more force into it trying to remain calm in the culmination of his building anger, her defiance and the fact that this was all happening in front of her other 'visitor'. Who she presently looked so directly and perfectly that it caused the 'visitor' to doubt his senses. She couldn't have just seen him..._really_ seen him...could she have?

"do _not_ toy with me!" he snarled as he finally got her to rise. However only accomplished by her own will as she stared up into his eyes heights not matching in the least but wills equal resulting in an unspoken battle simmering in the small distance between them. His hold on her arm was temporary as she snatched it from his grasp roughly.

"You always did strike me as a dogs body..." she said gaze clear and unwavering setting him alight like the unpredictable fuse he was not just by her blatant lack of fear for him but for flinging the issue of him being subject to another in his face. Subjugation being something her despised immensely had having it being pointed out by the one thorn in his side was like a red flag in front of a raging bull and for a moment he almost forgot his companion's presence.

There was an almost inaudible sound form the silhouette that lay half in amusement and half in satisfaction. "She'll do." It said softly turning to begin it's return journey, "Looks like you're losing your touch Phebes." to this Phebes angrily turned on her "I promise you, you will die and I will do it myself!" he spat in a low vehement growl that passed through amazingly clenched teeth.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

Zahi paced restlessly. He'd been doing that since evening had fallen and he'd found himself on duty. On a day he was not meant to be. The other guard who had no doubt fully expected a time of silent watch was becoming highly irritated by Zahi's continuous pacing.

Something more. He should have done something more. He'd thought over it. What it was he could have done differently to have avoided this. yet it didn't seem as important as what he was to do now. A part of him wished Phebes hadn't chosen to take out this form of revenge. 

Killing two birds with one stone he had said.

He knew what one 'bird' was. Him. Punishment for what Phebes considered his betrayal. Placing him purposely on duty on a day when he was meant to be off. Ruining his happiness at his promotion and leaving him out here helpless to protect someone he wanted to.

The other 'bird' however he wasn't sure quite what it was about but he knew it was something. Something important and something that no doubt involved Phebes a whole lot. However he couldn't think much about that. There were other things on his mind

How was he to have balanced his loyalties to his king and loyalties of another kind that only he recognised. He'd made a promise and that was all there was to it. To that effect he'd been seriously tempted to do something stupid. As if Phebes had realised his thought process he'd placed the last nail in the coffin by accompanying him. Always there in the background making sure he'd stayed in line.

He hadn't been able to look her in the eye. Afraid that he would now find a different kind of condemnation than was ever there before.

To become just another female for a harem.

"Hey!..." the other guard began having had enough. "What!!!!" came the viciously snapped reply. A worried look fell over the guard's face as he stepped back unconsciously from the anger he found burning in a pair of eyes that had become red with suppressed emotion. 

"Nothing." he answered quickly.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

To say she'd been _prepared_ to find herself standing here would have been a lie but to say she had been expecting this feeling of being lost...now that was true. An inability to fathom how she was to handle this. She'd realised that while she was still being dragged through a degrading 'clean up' literally kicking and screaming her disapproval for all the good that had done...(when she met up with the person who'd come up with the idea for those damn bracelets there would be some payback in order)...which had resulted in the end effect of her looking like this. To say she was in the foulest of moods and ready to pummel the first person that just _looked_ at her wrong was an underestimation. Thinking rationally was not her forte. She wanted out and she wanted out now.

She hadn't cared much for walking into the middle of the room either her reflexes on edge just waiting lingering near the exit that had suddenly ceased to be such since it had been closed behind her. Her critical gaze hadn't cared in the least for the beauty of the room neither did she care very much for the richly draped bed that was almost like two and a half double beds pushed together or the same draped windows. The furniture didn't register either and all the toil and craftsmanship that had gone into them couldn't have mattered any less because she was already staring down the man on the bed. The very essence of the room, its very existence seemed to only serve to heighten her anger and the feeling of somehow being soiled on the mere entry of this place. 

He'd seemed to be patiently waiting for her to do something, what that was exactly she didn't know and frankly didn't care as she stood there watching him like a hawk silently daring its prey to make the mistake of dancing on its doorstep. When she hadn't moved he'd tried accommodating her for awhile after all who wouldn't have...for just a little while, he'd thought as he took her in reacquainting himself with the girl he'd espied from the balcony and who strangely enough remained just the same. He'd expected somehow that he might have fabricated most of what she had seemed. An overactive imagination in heat. He would have recognized her anywhere and even without the silver chain he'd seen still presently wrapped round her wrist. He would just **know** it was her by the way she stood there trying to reduce him to ashes with a look alone. 

He took in the short cut hair now trying to reacquaint itself with new lengths. The stubborn jut of her chin, the blazing storm blue gaze, the perfection of her was magnificent. The dress she wore was the only thing that prevented his gaze from the beautifully sculptured body he knew lay beneath. Saying that it didn't hide much and it wasn't just the translucent quality of the material either. It was the way it finished just halfway down her thighs giving a more than glorious view of flawless peachy cream legs. The neck line of the dress was so wide that the only thing that seemed to be holding it up was the sleeves of the dress if it could be called that and the rise of her breasts, the soft flesh rising and falling with every breath. His eyes followed every rise and fall almost mesmerized. Just take one tug, he thought his tongue sliding over suddenly dry lips. He was suddenly impatient with indulging her and rose instead approaching her any desire to be accommodating leaving in that instant.

Juuhachi however, unaware of exactly what was going through his mind, did not like it one bit when he took a step towards her. She didn't even like the look in his eyes either, bright with something she wasn't too enthusiastic about. The ease in which she slipped into a defensive position amused him where she was in deadly earnest her irate mood not helped by his amusement. To him the very idea that she thought she could be able to take him on was something ridiculous. Dressed the way she was was even more absurd.

She was slammed up against the wall staring into dark onyx eyes before she could get the sound of surprise past her lips and she realised many things all at once then, the sensation rivalling being immersed in a cold shower. The instant alertness that followed. She knew he wasn't just going to let her go. She knew with a certainty that there was going to be a clash. For people more than used to getting their own way neither was going to give up anytime soon. And of it all...he was stronger. 

His mouth covered hers. 

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

Vegeta looked back coming to a stop a highly irritated look on his face as he waited, the bumbling hulk of his bodyguard appearing from the ship minutes later. He came towards him far too slowly for Vegeta's liking.

"Walk like those legs were meant to be used!" He snapped in his trademarked bad temper wishing for the tenth time that day that he had not conceded to give Raditz an extra day off. He must have been crazy to have said yes. He supposed he could have taken his brother instead but Kakkarot was just as bad as Nappa if not more of a pitiful excuse for anything Saiyan. Pity that, since he had a lot of potential for someone of the third class. Now if only he actually possessed a brain worth using. If he'd been here the situation would have been significantly worse than the half crashing and half landing drama that he'd just walked away from. 

"I had to switch off the main engine-" 

"and that was a hard thing to do how?" Vegeta asked rhetorically his irritation so evident that if Nappa had been paying much attention to anything other than the terrible weighing guilt and unhappiness of his current failure he wouldn't have answered. 

"I couldn't find the right controls." He admitted beneath a scathing and faintly incredulous glance sent his way. He went on to elaborate. "It's a new model…I'm not used to this one." He finished silently blaming this new misfortune on the culmination of human and third class Saiyan technology that had had a helping hand in building the contraption of death. The fact that there was an entirely different system to the ship had only become evident to him during flight. The sequence and controls for take off had not been changed. It was that of flight and landing. 

Vegeta didn't say anything he mentally shook his head realising suddenly that it made sense. Where all the time he had thought that Nappa was being suicidal in trying to destroy the ship with both of them on it, it had rather just been a result of his usual low intelligence. No, what he had actually been trying to do was destroy the ship with both of them on it from plain ignorance of the controls. There was really a lot of difference he thought sarcastically. 

"Familiarise yourself with it before the next time." He said to the more than eager nod from Nappa who hadn't even realised yet that Vegeta hadn't said exactly when this next time would be and just how long that gave him. For all he would know the next time could be this very same day though it seemed unlikely he would later think since Vegeta would have no particular need to leave the planet since the night was already here. The fact that they had spent so long had been due to his inability to land. Something he had amazingly accomplished to a degree upon being threatened by Vegeta. 

Right now he was just too thankful that he hadn't ended up killing them both or either being killed himself when they got to the ground just for his incompetence which funnily enough had been the same reason why he had not said anything about his disadvantage when they'd left. Truth be told he had heard that there had been changes but he had hoped they would be slight because bringing such trivialities to Vegeta's attention would have availed him no good. He'd been in one of his moods muttering something about blue haired women and no wonder it was that there weren't much more of them. The fact that just one person would have had to cross him to feel the full brunt of his anger and die in the most painful way possible had been all but plainly obvious. So he had chosen instead to go by gut instinct and plainly advertise himself for some pretty near disastrous results. It had also seemed that the other group that had come with them had pretty much placed their lives in his hands as well. Though they hadn't said anything the look that had been in their eyes had pretty much been the same in his but for different reasons.

He said nothing as he followed behind glad that the only consequence of the trip being that they had to walk the rest of the distance to the palace. It wasn't that bad. He'd had the good fortune to actually manage to land on palace grounds even though it was still a distance from were he was supposed to. His attempt to speak was cut abruptly short with a simple enough statement. 

"When I want you to talk Nappa, I'll make you…" 

Curt and effective. 

It was his usual way and more than expected… 

What was usual however didn't entail sudden the sudden sharp intake of breath that signified some kind of surprised shock. The way his hand rose to his chest almost as if trying to ward of some kind of evil wasn't right either. None of it fitted into the norm. It was thus with an almost lethargic sense of initial disbelief that he realised none of the above had been done willingly. More so confirmed when Vegeta seemed to turn to him slightly as he hurried up to his left. His gaze seemed to look past him searching as they coasted past him with a sharpness brought about by sudden awareness and angry surprise. The irrational momentary sense of panic he felt then was born of the fact that it seemed wrong somehow…he wasn't supposed to be under threat in a place like this. His own planet. People knew better than to try. 

However it was only saw a hidden shadow, a quick blur that he caught before he felt himself strangely shrink in size every thing around him seeming to become louder. It was with a strange detachment that he saw Nappa giving quick orders seeming highly different to the Nappa he knew. Disorientated he felt he was suddenly no longer sharing the some plain of existence with everyone else and everything was merely a parallel to itself. It was oddly like watching a movie were he was the only spectator and had absolutely no control over the events even though it was happening to him. 

He could feel though, that was still real enough, he could feel the angry clenching of his teeth as his thoughts boiled. That shadow still hidden somewhere in a heated part of his mind and just what he would do to that miserable soul was what gave him something tangible to cling onto. To be able to ignore the pain that felt like a fire born through his middle. He tried to say something then…he was going to say something, to tell the bumbling hulk calling to him to stop wasting his time asking stupidly if he was all right when it was plainly obvious he wasn't. He didn't have to look down at the white glove now becoming an appealing crimson to know that. He could feel it. It was like someone had just taken a hot poker, gouged it right through the centre of him and wrenched it out the other end with no special skill whatsoever. 

He was well acquainted with what it was because time and time again he had revelled in it…the air had been full of the smell of it, as he had scanned empty desolate planets that just seconds before had been bustling with life. He wasn't unfamiliar with it himself it's just that this time it surprised him. Because he should have expected it?….seen it coming even, how could he not. Being constantly aware of his environment should never be something to slip from the mind even for one second. More confusing was that he hadn't seen anything. Hadn't registered anything.

He closed his eyes and with a terrible certainty he couldn't just feel himself gradually loosing his hold on consciousness but he was intensely aware of it happening too. He faintly heard Nappa calling him and sounding something on the side of terrified. A smile touched his lips. 

He should rightly be worried because he would be the one coming under scrutiny and in his job there wouldn't be much of an excuse. Skinned alive was the phrase that seemed to dance a cruel taunting jig through Nappa's mind at this point. Vegeta waved him away highly irritated he could walk by himself he wasn't quite down just yet. "Go away!" he said having lost none of his constant irritation with the one other Saiyan-jin that loyally hung around him good or bad. 

But where he might have thought he'd actually said such, in reality he hadn't. He hadn't been conscious since he'd closed his eyes. He'd never smiled and he'd never said a word. He'd lost consciousness with a frown darkening his paling features. Everything else had only happened in his mind. 

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

Bulma looked down at the weapon in her hand an almost disbelieving look on her face as she returned it to its hiding place hands trembling slightly. Well that was a shock…it had been much too powerful. It needed a bit more work though so far it seemed to have accomplished it's task. Yet how was she going to quite explain it when they found out...cause it would be pretty hard to overlook. However she didn't think too long about that because she was more worried about preventing anyone from finding out what it was she had just done.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

Goku turned sharply at the sound of the blast just in time to see it blow up in the distance. He'd only begun to head towards the building when he'd caught the streak of light across the sky. He felt Chichi latch onto him suddenly having jumped at the unexpected sound.

"What was that?!" she cried her voice holding both fear and resentment at having had her heart almost ripped from her chest in primitive fear. She didn't even realise the close contact she currently had going. The fact that her face was just inches from his chest, that his arm had encircled her slightly or that his smell currently filled her nose totally was all pushed back to some unconscious recording station in her mind. All for remembering much later and wishing she'd been more aware. Goku didn't seem to notice it either as a frown crossed his face as he seemed to be mentally calculating something.

"It looks like it came from somewhere near the king's quarters." he informed her absently. "This isn't good. Something must have happened, the place is going to be crawling with guards now. We have to tell Krillin not to--"

Goku looked around a different kind of frown now settling on his face but it was chichi that voiced his question. Yet it still sent a feeling of dread down his spine. 

"Where _is_ he?"

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

Juuhachi...

That was the thought that had shot through his mind the moment he had seen that explosion. He'd seen it earlier than Goku by a few seconds. He knew where it had come from but unlike Goku he wasn't aware of what section of the grounds it was called. All he knew was that it was her.

He didn't know how it was he knew all he was sure of was that it was definitely her. He'd found his feet moving even before his head was thinking and that's how he ran into a situation much worse than anything he'd intended to get into.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

She pulled away pushing him backwards in both a reflexive and volcanically angry move. Most of his fall backwards was caused by his sheer surprise. Whether it was surprise a the fact that she had been able to or that she had had the gall to wasn't quite obvious. He stared at the woman glaring back at him. Blue eyes burning with anger and disgust but also a stubborn light. combined it seemed to silently scream 'how dare he' as she dragged the air back into her lungs. Yet what caught his attention, quite unwisely ignoring the lighted flames in her eyes, was the preciously heaving, semi naked bosom. Before he realised what it was she had in mind she had brought her knee up in a sharp move that coupled with her super human strength would have crippled a human male forever,. His agony was just long enough for her to pull away. 

His hand shot out as he felt her slipping away curling round her arm like a vice turning her sharp momentum back on her succeeding in diverting her towards the bed. He had her pinned before she could move and his grin then was one of smug arrogance as he informed her of the fact that she didn't really have to fight him. 

Her hands shot up and closed round his neck immediately they were free with a speed that would put even him to shame but he wasn't surprised at it. In truth it hadn't been as unexpected as it had seemed. she had stopped surprising him about the time she had tried to render him unable to father anymore brats. a dozen attempts later and he was suitably impressed. This also passed though when just minutes after finally overpowering her he'd fully expected her to give in. It was there in her eyes, the way they had closed. The way she had stilled somewhat. The expression that had filtered across her face. However what she had done instead was to have bitten down hard, a 'too narrow for comfort' miss from halving his tongue but finding his lip instead and drawing blood. His reaction to that was to pull back in stunned pain.

"Get off me!" was all of the third thing she'd spat off since she'd been in his room. It was given with just as much angry venom if not more than before. Something she could have died for many times over. On one level he'd encountered a challenge and he loved challenges but coupled with a desire that threatened to send him round the bend he wasn't so willing to 'like' this challenge right now. He caught her hands pushing them back down onto the bed in a somewhat similar replica of arm wrestling which in the end he won pinning her hands to the bed. The look in her eyes could've been used to test brave men as it wouldn't bear beholding and yet he held them and with a smile too. 

"It won't do you any good to keep struggling you know." He said his hand running through her blonde hair trembling from a barely suppressed need for her. She grinned at that as if she had somehow found some stupidity in his statement and for a second time he thought she'd finally seen sense. That was till her gaze narrowed dangerously the only split second warning before she suddenly lunged forward the next thing registering were the stars in front of his eyes. He swore the word slipping off his tongue with ease She rolled out of the bed, or was rather in the process of doing just that as he clutched at his forehead growling angrily. 

His hand flew out quickly latching a hold of her his grasp missing first time round only to clamp round her ankle on the second almost blind one.

There was a yelp of surprise followed by a dull thud as caught of balance she met the ground chin first the impact jarring through her. She didn't have much time to concentrate on it though before she was being dragged back by a very -at this point- annoyed king of the planet Vegeta. To make matters worse not only did she feel like a slab of meat being dragged left and right the dress was threatening to fall apart on her. There was more than anger behind her action of pulling back her free leg that he'd made the mistake of not catching also. She rammed the presently deadly weapon in his face in as lethal a move as could be executed half hanging off a bed upside down. It worked because he let go and she fell in a heap that started with her shoulders however as far as recoveries went she had to admire herself for this one as she scrambled to her feet. He came after her but her defensive position made him think twice. 

"Stay away from me." she warned her voice amazingly steady considering the fact that he wasn't even listening to her and the look in his eyes now wasn't just lust anymore but dangerous anger and absolute frustration. "I will kill you." he promised. "I will have you and then I will **kill** you!" 

"Join the club."

"That is it!" came his muttered verbal indication of his snapped thread of patience and she stepped back quickly at the murderous look in his eyes. She felt the energy crackling in her palm the glowing ball forming itself before it was even thought. It's appearance stemming from both reflex and a last remaining option. The look of surprise on his face was priceless compared to the look of almost easy confidence intermingled with blinding hatred that the whitish-blue glow illuminated on her face as she let it go. It was surprise that led to his slow reaction time as it hurtled towards him. A time in which he came so close to having a hole blasted through him but he deflected at the last minute sending it flying towards and through the open window where it took a piece of the wall with it making it look strangely like some monster had taken a bite out of it. Rather like it had happened upon some tasty morsel. He stared at her surprise still etched into his features as she indicated her willingness to try again if he was to think about heading her way. Strangely enough he seemed to have frozen and she doubted that was because of her. Not after the ease in which he'd deflected that blast. It was something else she wasn't sure of but that kept him far enough away from her to which she was satisfied. 

She'd caught something he'd muttered though she hadn't been paying much attention to that to know what it was he'd said but what ever it was it was enough to bring him to a standstill. She'd been more interested in anticipating his next move but she couldn't fathom it when he hurried past like suddenly she didn't exist anymore an unreadable look on his face. She didn't question it though as she was suddenly left on her own. Confused yes, she'd felt this was all part of some trick to make her lower her guard, but satisfied. Later, on some thought she realised that she _had_ heard what he'd said.

_ 'Vegeta?'_

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

He pulled back further into the shadows expression one of intense concentration watching as an unfortunate victim ran past. Short legs carried him at speeds unsurpassed and with such a desperation to it that in any other circumstances it would make for great comedy but now would have you look on breath held waiting for the inevitable as he was hunted down. Yet somehow a smile split across the face in the shadows. It seemed like things had worked out even better than expected. 

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

It was the strange quality of the scene before him that made him frown. It was different from what he had been expecting, from where he had strangely fallen asleep that much he was sure of. As for everything else well that was fuzzy at best, just like his current view. One thing was for sure he had not been looking into so much blue before. Fuzzy, sky like blue--

He suddenly realised what and who it was. 'It' was a stubborn, blue haired, blue eyed pain in the rear. He knew her name but did not use it even as it came to him. 

"Woman will you get out of my face!" he muttered in miserly mannered tones and sure enough he found the colour almost sail out of his view to be filled with white and other colours as his environment became recognisable. Two fingers waved into his view catching his attention before stilling. "How many fingers?" she asked.

He frowned. _What in the world_...? "for your sake I won't answer that question."

"Hmph!" She scoffed half to herself. "What you don't seem to realise is that you have been left to me, you're the one in bed and you're the one who just got half his chest busted in..." she deviated suddenly talking to herself in softly curious tones "why you happen to still be alive is a mystery in itself...how could you have healed up so quickly...unless this species has amazing healing powers. It's either that or some fantastic technology I would like to get my hands on."

Her quiet voice didn't still escape his hearing but the word came to him easily. Regeneration tanks. 

She regained her course soon enough though as sharply as if reminded of something. She turned to him with a look and tone that strangely lay between accusation and questioning bewilderment. "...it was your fault..."

"What?!" he questioned amazingly melding a tone of utter incredulity into one of bored disbelief. He was more than used to her deviations and her speaking in periods of times when she forgot her place, the latter of which he found to be a most worthy past time since she managed to give as good as she got, but right now he wasn't so playfully inclined. His initial thought being she had the audacity to say his current state was his fault however it turned out to be something quite different.

"My being here." she informed him "it's you...you asked for me...'kept calling my name' would be more accurate actually." she finished fixing him with a look that stated silently she wanted an explanation. He fumed frowning darkly at her words. Thing was he couldn't remember if he had or hadn't. "I was _delirious_..." he said stressing the last word accusatorily and he must have been...either that or stark raving mad to have done any such thing least of all to have called **her** in particular. "Don't try and place words that never existed in my mouth."

That's as close as he came to suggesting she must have been so desperate for attention from him that she would fabricate such a story out of the blue just to get it. Anger set alight in those blue eyes their colour darkening with the power of it and embarrassment coloured her cheeks. She'd been commanded to keep his forehead cool but now she avoided it right now because she was very sure it would have been slapped on. That would only get her into a whole heap of trouble. However there was one thing she remembered...

A huge metal clang sounded through the place so suddenly it made Vegeta jump as his head reacted unfavourably.

"Oh clumsy me. I am so sorry." she said with a barely hidden grin that refuted the very words she had just uttered. This was no help to his pounding headache, which she had been informed he would awaken with. That had been geared towards her making as little noise as possible but that little nugget of information had sure come in handy now. Neither was it any good for his foul temper which found him practically biting his words into the air "Go away!!...get out. Just disappear before I blast you into the next dimension myself!" His attempt to rise was foiled by the assault of sudden pain.

"Much as I would love to obey you...I can't. I am not to leave you're side. Call it a death order. I leave, I die." she informed him as she settled beside him placing the cloth over his forehead. His hand curled round hers suddenly like a vice making her jump slightly. "If you are not careful I might do the killing myself. Hear me?"

"Of course" she grated with superhuman meekness as she pulled away or tried to since she only managed it when she stilled and he let her go himself. "what you should be worried about is me beating you to it you miserly jerk. This time I won't miss." she muttered to her own hearing.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

**Author notes**; Okay I'm done. That's it reviewed and rewritten. I had help though ^__^. That's cause I found my former plot line (which made more sense and resulted in me calling myself a _baka_ for not having made backup copies) so we're back on track now. However I've only found the plots for this chapter and the next. All the rest were ruined and totally lost. Anyways I hope this is a bit more understandable. I've checked all the words and tried to make them flow... and added the new scenes. If it still doesn't make sense please do tell me. 


End file.
